awqafsouthafrica

What awqafsouthafrica does

Awqaf SA, legally the National Awqaf Foundation of South Africa, is a non-profit charitable trust operating the Islamic waqf endowment system in South Africa from offices in Johannesburg (headquarters), Cape Town, and Durban. Donors contribute cash, property, jewellery, shares, or other assets into 17 specialized permanent waqf funds — covering Hajj, Qur'an Hifth, Qurbani, masjid maintenance, tertiary bursaries, water/boreholes, cataract surgery, food security, youth entrepreneurship, sports, and orphans — where the principal is preserved indefinitely and only investment income, earned on Sharia-compliant instruments, is deployed for charitable causes. The organization also delivers direct programmes including hybrid Grade 10–12 maths workshops (streamed via YouTube and TikTok with Western Cape Education Department), water-infrastructure projects at healthcare facilities, annual Qurbani meat distribution, and the Fasting Children of Islam certificate programme.

Revenue is generated through one-time waqf donations, recurring monthly contributions (e.g., the 1% per month programme and Adopt-a-Hafith at R2,500/month or R27,000/year), project-specific appeals, corporate sponsorships (Standard Bank Shari'ah Banking, Türkiye Diyanet Foundation), and Section 18A tax-deductible giving via its PBO registration with SARS. Distribution channels include a Netcash-powered online donation portal, direct bank transfers (FNB Islamic Finance, Nedbank, Al Baraka Bank), volunteer networks, masjid partnerships, and structured grant applications for downstream community organizations.

The organization is volunteer-driven with trustee-led governance and audited financials (Deloitte), led by CEO Mickaeel Collier and Chairman Shiraz Gany, with founding legacy tied to Zeinoul Abedien Cajee. Strategic positioning is increasingly international, evidenced by participation in the 13th Global Waqf Conference in Morocco, the Islamic Finance 20 Forum during South Africa's G20 Presidency, and co-hosting of the OIC/IRCICA 4th International Conference in Cape Town — signalling intent to anchor Awqaf SA as a continental node in global waqf governance and Islamic finance.

Name

awqafsouthafrica

Legal name

National Awqaf Foundation of South Africa

Website

https://awqafsa.org.za

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Awqaf SA is a South African non-profit waqf endowment trust operating 17 specialized charitable funds across education, healthcare, food security, water infrastructure, and youth development, serving vulnerable communities nationally and funded by donations, recurring subscriptions, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Islamic Charitable Endowment Services

NAICS

Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Shariah Governance, Compliance & Advisory (Shariah Boards, Audit, Fatwa) (FSABAGAJ)

Keywords

• Waqf endowment funds
• Islamic charitable trust
• Community development programs
• Sharia-compliant donations
• Education healthcare welfare

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Waqf Donations: Permanent endowment donations where assets are invested in Sharia-compliant investments and only the investment income is used for charitable causes. Donors can contribute cash, property, jewellery, shares, or other assets. Waqf funds are preserved permanently and generate ongoing returns for designated causes.
2. Monthly Waqf Contributions: Regular monthly waqf of a small portion of income through the 1% per month program. Also includes recurring monthly donations to specific waqf funds like Adopt-a-Hafith (R2,500/month or R27,000/year).
3. Project-Specific Donations: One-time donations to specific causes or emergency situations, either designated to a specific waqf fund or discretionary (trust allocation by Trustees).
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for specific programs and events, such as Standard Bank Shari'ah Banking sponsoring the Islamic Finance 20 Forum.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Awqaf SA is a waqf-driven charitable trust that collects permanent endowment donations (cash, property, jewellery, shares, real estate) from individual donors and corporate sponsors, invests these assets in Sharia-compliant instruments, and uses only the investment income to fund community programs. It operates 17+ specialized waqf funds covering education, healthcare, food security, water infrastructure, youth development, religious observance, and orphan support across South Africa.

Product overview

Awqaf SA is a waqf-driven charitable trust operating as a unified platform of 17 named waqf funds, each dedicated to specific causes. The portfolio spans religious observance (Hajj, Qurbani, Qur'an), healthcare (Cataract operations, Darushifa), education (Tertiary Bursary, Maths Workshops, Fasting Certificates), community development (Water & Boreholes, Food Security, Orphans), youth empowerment (Entrepreneurship, Sports), and general discretionary giving. Each waqf fund operates as a permanent charitable endowment where donations are invested in Sharia-compliant instruments and only the investment income funds the respective cause. The organisation also delivers direct programmes including maths workshops for grades 10-12, publishes books on Islamic heritage, and hosts international academic conferences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hajj Waqf Fund
• Qur'an Hifth Waqf Fund (Adopt-a-Hafith)
• Qurbani Waqf Fund
• Masjid Waqf Fund
• Tertiary Bursary-Loan Waqf Fund
• Water & Borehole Waqf Fund
• Discretionary Waqf Fund
• Youth Entrepreneurship Waqf Fund
• Sport & Youth Development Waqf Fund
• Al Ansaar New Muslims Support Waqf Fund
• Cataract Waqf Fund
• Darushifa General Healthcare Waqf Fund
• Education Waqf Fund
• Food Security Waqf Fund
• Fruit Tree Waqf Fund
• Qur'an Distribution Waqf Fund
• Yateem/Orphans Waqf Fund
• Maths Workshop Programme
• Fasting Children of Islam Certificate
• Water Security Infrastructure Projects
• The Circle of the Saints (Book)

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 150,000 people fed through annual Qurbani program with 120+ tonnes of meat distributed
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Standard Bank Shari'ah BankingcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Sponsor of Islamic Finance 20 Forum held during South Africa's G20 Presidency. The forum explored how Islamic finance could drive Africa's investment and infrastructure development, positioning South Africa as a meeting point for industry experts.
• Türkiye Diyanet FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 201610-year partnership for annual Ramadan 'Share the Care' campaign providing food relief to nearly 4,000 people across Cape Town. The collaboration distributes nearly 1,000 grocery hampers annually to vulnerable communities in Hanover Park, Parkwood, CAFDA, Lavender Hill and Khayelitsha. Türkiye Diyanet Foundation provides humanitarian funding and support.
• Western Cape Education DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment education partner for maths workshop program assisting grades 10, 11 and 12 learners with mathematics examination preparation. Workshops are hosted in association with partner high schools.
• ISESCO (Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to promote the Arabic language in South Africa. ISESCO expressed readiness to send experts to train educational staff and contribute to curriculum development for Arabic language instruction.
• Malaysia's National University Institute of Civilisation IslamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint collaboration for 13th Global Waqf Conference in Morocco focusing on 'Re-engineering the Waqf Ecosystem: Governance Innovations for Institutional Resilience'.
• Malaysian Waqf FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint collaboration for 13th Global Waqf Conference in Morocco.
• International Council for Waqf AffairsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint collaboration for 13th Global Waqf Conference in Morocco.
• IRCICA (Research Centre of Islamic History, Art and Culture)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosting 4th International Conference on 'The Representation of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in Islamic Scholarship and Literature in Africa' with OIC and Awqaf SA.
• OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosting 4th International Conference on 'The Representation of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in Islamic Scholarship and Literature in Africa' with IRCICA and Awqaf SA.
• Thread WaqfminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation partner for maths workshops program supporting grade 10-12 learners.
• Oom Berto du Toit (Wellington Farmer)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerWhite Afrikaans farmer who procures and transports cattle for Qurbani project, demonstrating cross-community collaboration for food distribution program.
• AlBaraka Forum for Islamic EconomyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosting of 46th AlBaraka Symposium under patronage of Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Prince of Madinah region, focusing on 'The Righteousness and Benevolence in Islamic Economy: The Future Forward'.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Islamic Relief South Africa: South African arm of the global Islamic Relief Worldwide humanitarian NGO. Directly comparable because it competes for the same Muslim donor base in South Africa on overlapping causes (food security, water, education, orphan care) and is a likely substitute for Awqaf SA's discretionary donations.
• Gift of the Givers Foundation: South Africa's largest humanitarian NGO, a cross-faith disaster-response and welfare organisation. Comparable because it is a domestic substitute donor choice for both Muslim and non-Muslim South Africans and operates similar large-scale food, water and education relief programmes.
• Al-Imdaad Foundation: South African Muslim humanitarian NGO delivering emergency relief, food hampers, water wells and seasonal Ramadan programmes (similar to Share the Care and Qurbani). A direct substitute for South African Muslim donors.
• Türkiye Diyanet Foundation: Türkiye's state-linked Islamic charitable foundation and Awqaf SA's flagship 10-year partner. Directly comparable as both implement Ramadan food-relief, education, and humanitarian programmes, and increasingly as a model Awqaf SA could replicate at greater scale via shared funding.
• Yayasan Waqaf Malaysia (YAPEIM): Malaysia's national waqf authority operating pooled Islamic endowment funds for education, health and community welfare. Directly comparable in model — permanent endowment, Sharia-compliant, multi-cause portfolio — though operating in a more mature Islamic finance ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation: Kuwait's state-level awqaf authority managing one of the world's largest Islamic endowment portfolios. A larger incumbent in the same waqf-administering category, demonstrating the scale ceiling Awqaf SA could aspire to with cross-border endowment flows.

Regional players

• Ummah Welfare Trust: UK-based Islamic humanitarian NGO with active South African and global programmes (food, education, water, orphan sponsorship). Comparable cause portfolio and donor-acquisition playbook via the UK Muslim diaspora.
• Muslim Hands: UK-headquartered Muslim humanitarian NGO running Ramadan, Qurbani, water and orphan programmes across Africa and South Asia. Operates similar seasonal donation-driven programmes and competes for diaspora Muslim giving.
• Human Appeal International: UK-based Muslim humanitarian NGO with active programmes in South Africa and across Africa; comparable cause mix (emergency relief, food security, water, education) and shared donor pool in the UK Muslim diaspora.

Emerging players

• Penny Appeal: UK-headquartered Muslim charity combining seasonal campaigns (Ramadan, Qurbani) with permanent endowment-style waqf funds. A useful comparable on the donor-side mechanics — particularly diaspora digital giving and recurring 'waqf' monthly plans — though a smaller, younger organisation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/awqafsa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AwqafSouthAfrica
• Facebookfacebook.com/awqafsouthafrica
• Instagraminstagram.com/awqafsa
• TikToktiktok.com/@awqafsa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/awqafsa

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 awqafsouthafrica