United Nations Association Of South Africa

What United Nations Association Of South Africa does

The United Nations Association of South Africa (UNASA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 by Professor Harold Herman and headquartered in Somerset West, South Africa. UNASA's mission is to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 among South African youth through Model United Nations (MUN) simulations, UN Club programming in schools, and SDG-focused advocacy campaigns. Core programs include the National Model UN (NatMUN), South African Schools MUN (SASMUN), Limpopo Province Model UN (LIMUN) for TVET colleges, UN Youth Clubs, and human rights initiatives including the Action 2015 campaign and the 16 Days of Activism partnership with UN Women. The organization has no proprietary technology stack; its delivery model is built around a national chapter network of 12+ chapters at South African universities and TVET colleges, including Stellenbosch, UCT, University of Pretoria, UKZN, University of the Free State, UWC, University of Zululand, Nelson Mandela University, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, and TVET colleges in Capricorn, Vhembe, and Waterberg.

UNASA operates a non-commercial revenue model combining R300 annual individual memberships, tax-deductible donations (18A receipts), and targeted program fundraising — for example, R200,000 for UN Youth Clubs, R80,000 for SASMUN, and R500,000 for Gender Equality programming. Strategic institutional support comes from partnerships with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), which provides conference hosting at its Pretoria headquarters and 4-day diplomatic training for winning delegates; the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), through which UNASA's Secretary-General represents the organization at the UN in New York and Geneva; Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung South Africa (FES-SA), which underwrote NatMUN 2019; and UN Women for gender equality programming. The customer base comprises university students, TVET college students, and high school students, with advocacy extending into underserved communities such as Kayamandi. Reach is documented through events including NatMUN 2019 (18 schools), LIMUN/NatMUN 2021 (virtual, pandemic-era), SASMUN 2024 (14 teams at the Cape Town Mayor's Council Chamber), and the upcoming NatMUN 2025 with registration opening April 15, 2025.

Name

United Nations Association Of South Africa

Legal name

United Nations Association of South Africa

Website

https://unasa.org.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

UNASA is a South African non-profit that empowers youth through Model United Nations conferences, UN Club school programs, and SDG 2030 advocacy, operating across 12+ university and TVET college chapters nationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Civic Education and Advocacy

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Model United Nations (MUN) (EDAMAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Model UN & Parliamentary Procedure Programs (Oratory-Focused) (EDAMAOAG), United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA)

Keywords

• Youth civic education
• Model united nations
• Sustainable development advocacy
• Diplomacy training programs
• Leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Somerset West

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fee of R300.00 per member. Members receive a membership number and receipt.
2. Donations: Donations from individuals, alumni, and corporate sponsors. Organization issues 18A receipts for tax-deductible donations. Donations fund specific programs including UN Youth Clubs (target R200,000), South African Schools MUN (target R80,000), and Gender Equality initiatives (target R500,000).
3. Program-based Fundraising: Targeted fundraising campaigns for specific initiatives including gender equality programs (R500,000 target), environmental action through SDG14, and youth literacy programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UNASA delivers educational and advocacy programs centered on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 through Model United Nations (MUN) conferences at national, regional, and school levels, supported by UN Youth Clubs at schools and universities. It operates a network of national chapters at 12+ South African universities and TVET colleges that serve as the primary delivery channel for these youth empowerment, diplomacy training, and civic engagement initiatives.

Product overview

The United Nations Association of South Africa (UNASA) is a non-profit youth empowerment organization that operates a unified portfolio of educational programs centered on Model United Nations (MUN) conferences and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) advocacy. The core offerings include National Model UN (NatMUN), South African Schools MUN (SASMUN), and Limpopo Province Model UN (LIMUN) conferences, supplemented by UN Youth Clubs in schools and universities. These programs are complemented by human rights initiatives and the Action 2015 campaign. The organization maintains national chapters at 12 universities and TVET colleges across South Africa, including Stellenbosch University, University of Cape Town, Nelson Mandela University, and others, which serve as delivery channels for the MUN and SDG programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 14 schools participated in the South African Schools MUN 2024 conference
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung South Africa (FES-SA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019FES-SA supported NatMUN 2019 and provided funding that enabled students from underprivileged backgrounds to attend the conference who would otherwise not have been able due to financial constraints. Partnership focuses on youth leadership development and democratic education.
• Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIRCO is a key strategic partner providing hosting facilities at their Pretoria headquarters for National Model UN conferences. Winning participants receive 4-day diplomatic training from DIRCO. The partnership provides legitimacy and direct access to diplomatic expertise for South African youth leadership development.
• World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNASA is affiliated with WFUNA. The Secretary-General represents UNASA at WFUNA and UN meetings in New York and Geneva. This affiliation provides global connectivity and legitimacy for the South African organization within the international UNA network.
• UN WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNASA partners with UN Women for the 16 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women and Children campaign, running from November 25th to December 10th. This partnership addresses gender equality through global initiatives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• United Nations Association – UK: UNA-UK is a peer national UNA chapter delivering UN-focused education, advocacy, and Model UN programming in the UK. It mirrors UNASA's mandate and chapter-based delivery model, though at significantly larger scale and funding base.
• United Nations Association in Canada: UNA-Canada is a comparable WFUNA-affiliated national UNA running Model UN programming and SDG education for Canadian youth. It shares UNASA's mandate, volunteer chapter structure, and reliance on WFUNA for international coordination.
• World Federation of United Nations Associations: WFUNA is the global umbrella of national UNAs, of which UNASA is an affiliated member. It is the most directly comparable peer because it operates the same UNA mandate (UN charter education, MUN, SDG advocacy) and has formal oversight/coordination over UNASA's international engagement.
• United Nations Association of the USA: UNA-USA is the largest national UNA chapter and runs the most extensive Model UN and SDG education programs in its market. It is directly comparable to UNASA on mission, program mix (MUN conferences, advocacy, chapter networks) and target audience (students and young professionals).
• United Nations Youth Association (UNYA South Africa): UNYA is a youth-led UN-focused NPO in South Africa that overlaps directly with UNASA on youth UN education and Model UN programming within the same geography. It is the closest in-country peer for member recruitment, partner mindshare, and chapter placement.

Regional players

• UN Youth Australia: UN Youth Australia is a peer national youth-organization running Model UN conferences and UN-themed education programs outside South Africa. It is comparable in target audience and program mix but does not directly compete because it operates in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• AIESEC: AIESEC is a much larger global youth-leadership organization running programs on cross-cultural engagement, SDG alignment, and student chapter networks at universities. While broader in scope (experiential exchange vs MUN specifically), it competes for the same pool of university student volunteers and corporate/partner sponsorships across emerging markets including South Africa.
• African Union ECOSOCC: ECOSOCC is the AU's civil-society engagement body and overlaps directly with UNASA's mandate on youth civic participation, SDGs, and pan-African advocacy. UNASA's VP previously served there. It is comparable as a larger incumbent in the same civic-education and youth-governance space in Africa.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/UnaSouthAfrica
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=100091240310306&mibextid=kFxxJD
• Instagraminstagram.com/una_south_africa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-nations-association-of-south-africa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about United Nations Association Of South Africa