What is Casidra?

Casidra is the acronym for ‘Cape Agency for Sustainable Integrated Development in Rural Areas’. Casidra is a Provincial Government Enterprise of the Western Cape Government.
The organisation is listed as a Schedule 3D Public Entity (Provincial business entity) in terms of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and has a Board of Directors as an accounting authority. Casidra resides under the Western Cape Department of Agriculture and its Minister as the designated Executive Authority.  The Department provides transfer funding to Casidra in terms of the PFMA.

• Our Mandate is ‘Agricultural and Economic Development within a Rural and Land reform context’.
• Our Vision is to cultivate sustainable and thriving agricultural communities.
• Our Mission is to advance agricultural and economic growth through exceptional project management and strategic programme implementation.
• Our Deliverable is ‘Project Management Excellence’.
• Our Motto is ‘in pursuit of agricultural and economic growth’.

Values

Our supporting values are:

• Collaboration: We believe that the best outcomes come from working together. By fostering a culture of collaboration, we leverage diverse perspectives and skills to drive innovation and achieve shared goals.
• Agility: In a fast-paced world, we embrace agility. We adapt quickly to changes, respond proactively to challenges, and continuously improve our processes to deliver value to our customers and stakeholders.
• Sustainability: We are committed to making a positive impact on the environment and society. Our decisions prioritise sustainability, ensuring that we meet the needs of today while safeguarding the resources for future generations.
• Integrity: Honesty and transparency are at the heart of our operations. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards, ensuring trust and respect in every interaction with our employees, clients, and community.
• Development-driven: We prioritise growth and development for our team and our business. By investing in our people and encouraging continuous learning, we cultivate a culture of excellence and innovation.
• Resilience: We face challenges with strength and determination. Our resilience enables us to overcome obstacles and emerge stronger, ensuring we can meet the needs of our customers even in difficult times.
• Accountability: We take ownership of our actions and decisions. By being accountable to ourselves and each other, we build a culture of trust and responsibility that drives our success.

Our strategic priorities

Our four priorities form the backbone of the Company’s strategy and will continue to be executed in 2025 and beyond. If these priorities are successfully and timeously implemented, they will lead to much stronger and more sustainable service delivery by Casidra.  These priorities are as follows:

Strategic Priority #1: Sustainability- To integrate sustainability into every aspect of our operations

Strategic Priority #2: World-Class Service Delivery- To achieve world-class service delivery by consistently delivering exceptional quality, innovation, and efficiency in meeting the needs of our stakeholders.

Strategic Priority #3: Winning Culture- Fostering a culture focused on integrity, accountability, and a commitment to excellence

Strategic Priority #4: Stakeholder Engagement-Engage more widely with existing and potential stakeholders

Casidra renders a project management service to Departments within the Western Cape Government (WCG), local authorities, businesses, non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) community-based organisations (CBO’s), academic institutions, other governmental agencies and international assistance institutions. As the official implementing agent for the Western Cape Government, development projects are planned and implemented by Casidra. Its proven ability and skills, ground level involvement in communities, proven track record and sound financial record-keeping, reporting and auditing make Casidra the preferred implementing agent.

Casidra’s approach to rural development is holistic and multi-sectoral, focusing on improving the social and economic wellbeing of rural people. The type of community development projects implemented vary, but are all aimed at alleviating poverty, stimulating broad-based economic growth and unlocking the human resources and capacity in rural communities. This approach is based upon community-driven endeavours which facilitate economic empowerment and sustainability, and ultimately help to establish self-sufficient communities.

We aim to:

• Encourage stability
• Open doors of opportunity for resource poor people
• Make a measurable impact on the reduction of poverty

We do project management in:

• Agriculture and Land Reform
• Rural Infrastructure and Poverty Alleviation
• Local Economic and Business Development

Who is targeted by Casidra?

Casidra works in resource poor communities of the Western Cape where poverty is rife. Assistance is given to communities committed to achieving sustainable development, but which lack the technical skills or resources necessary to implement policies and programmes.

Casidra uses a project management approach to deliver on its strategic goals, working closely with other role-players to address specific needs of rural communities.  The ability to achieve results is greatly affected by the willingness of role-players to co-operate in a productive partnership.

Legal Mandate

Casidra provides services to improve the quality of life of rural communities, and is:

• Registered as a SOC Ltd under the Companies Act, 2008 (Act 61 of 2008)
• Listed as a Schedule 3D Provincial Government Business Enterprise in terms of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), 1999 (Act 1 of 1999).

Public Finance Management Act

Section 38 (1) (a) of the Public Finance Management Act 1 of 1999 requires accounting officers of government departments to ensure that entities receiving transfer funding implement effective, efficient and transparent financial management and internal control systems, and define audit requirements.

Risk Management

Casidra’s control framework is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of accounting objectives. Risks impacting on achieving these objectives are assessed and systems implemented to improve the ability to identify controls to mitigate the risks.

Information and Communication

Casidra has a comprehensive process of reporting and budgets being reported and reviewed continuously. In accordance with the legal requirement, Casidra has published its Public Access to Information Statement, which can be downloaded from its website.

Preferential Procurement Policy

Casidra underwrites the Provincial and National development initiatives for preferential procurement. A Preferential Procurement Policy has been developed and is adhered to by Casidra.  The policy is based on the “Preferential Procurement Policy Framework” (Act 5 of 2000).

Who Funds Casidra?

The organisation is funded by the Western Cape Government. Projects are also implemented on behalf of various government departments and donor agencies. Closer private sector involvement will benefit not only development in rural areas, but also the economic empowerment of the Western Cape as a whole.

Casidra seeks to attract international attention and additional sources of assistance to strengthen our efforts towards establishing increasing numbers of thriving, self-sufficient rural communities in the Western Cape. If you create an environment where sufficient financial security exists, it creates stability and loyalty.

Effective medium-term planning is possible and the implementation of projects can be handled efficiently. To expand and address strategic objectives, financial capacity is required. A long-term commitment of the WCG for sufficient funding will contribute significantly to results. Concerted efforts are made to solicit funding from the private sector and donor organisations.

An appeal is made to donor organisations and grant makers to contribute to the programmes for poverty alleviation, rural development and capacity building.

For more information, enquiries and news, contact our Public Relation/Communications Manager, Experience Matshediso.