Homepage - Masifundise Development Trust

Fisher People Tribunal South Africa

The Fisher People Tribunal Hearings took place
from 12-14 August 2024 in Cape Town, marking
South Africa’s first People’s Tribunal focused on
fishing communities.

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SUPPORT SMALL-SCALE FISHERS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Your donation will help us to continue empowering
small-scale fishing communities to demand,
organize for and strengthen their food sovereignty.

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Programmes

Masifundise facilitates the formation and growth of mass based
community organisations in poor coastal areas.

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Masifundise develops discussion papers that speak in the voice of traditional small-scale
fisher fishers and critically analyses some of the important concepts and definitions
related to fishery policy and management.

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Our Vision

We have a vision of empowered SSF communities with the ability to build
and strengthen their food sovereignty within a more just and democratic
socio-economic and political environment.

Latest News

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: APPOINTMENT OF A MANAGED IT SERVICE PROVIDER

13 November 2026 | Featured News, Latest News, Media Statements, The Hook, Vacancies

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: APPOINTMENT OF A MANAGED IT SERVICE PROVIDER Reference: MDT/IT/2026/01 Procuring organisation: Masifundise Development Trust (MDT) Date of issue: 13 November 2026 Closing date: 30 November 2026 Shortlisting and Interviews: End of January 2027 Background and Purpose Masifundise Development Trust (MDT)...

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From 24-27 August 2026, our team recently travelle

What if research wasn’t done on communities, but w

📢Against the tide of industrial aquaculture! Gov

Week 35/53 | Our team engaged with fishing communi

🌊 From 12–15 August 2026, Masifundise and Coastal

🔔 #MediaAlert On 14 August 2026, the South Africa

Victoryyyy for rural communities! 👏 Communities h

Tomorrow, the Constitutional Court delivers its ju

#WomensMonth2026 70 years after the 1956 Women’s

🦞Today, on Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Day, we’re

🗓️This week, the Masifundise team came together fo

📆Last week, Coastal Links South Africa (#CLSA) mem

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Events

Checkmate on Corporate Impunity. UN Binding Treaty process resumes in Geneva

12th session of negotiations for a Binding Treaty to hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights violations start in Geneva 12 October 2026, Geneva, Switzerland Today the 12th session of negotiations of the UN Treaty to regulate transnational...

Small-Scale Fisheries Governance: Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Reality

Symbolic recognition means little when fishing communities still face climate breakdown and shrinking civic space. Explore how fisheries governance must bridge the gap between policy commitments and actual implementation.

WE ARE HIRING: PROGRAMME MANAGER

Masifundise is a progressive civil society organisation, registered as an independent Trust, with a longstanding track record in the small-scale fisheries sector. We work to promote and advance Food Sovereignty in small-scale fishing communities in South Africa and...

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In the Media

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: APPOINTMENT OF A MANAGED IT SERVICE PROVIDER

Nov 13, 2026

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: APPOINTMENT OF A MANAGED IT SERVICE PROVIDER Reference: MDT/IT/2026/01 Procuring organisation: Masifundise Development Trust (MDT) Date of issue: 13 November 2026 Closing date: 30 November 2026 Shortlisting and Interviews: End of January 2027...

Masifundise Mourns the Passing of SDCEA Co-Founder, Dr Desmond D’Sa

Oct 30, 2026

MEDIA ALERT To: All Media Issued by: Masifundise Development Trust Date: 30 October 2026 Subject: Masifundise Mourns the Passing of SDCEA Co-Founder, Dr Desmond D’Sa The South African and international environmental justice community has lost a longstanding...

Checkmate on Corporate Impunity. UN Binding Treaty process resumes in Geneva

Oct 13, 2026

12th session of negotiations for a Binding Treaty to hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights violations start in Geneva 12 October 2026, Geneva, Switzerland Today the 12th session of negotiations of the UN Treaty to regulate transnational...

SSF communities in South Africa

This map shows the current coastal and inland communities that Masifundise works with.