Development Action Group

General information

Established in 1986, the Development Action Group (DAG) is a leading non‐profit, non‐governmental organisation working throughout South Africa to fight poverty and inequality, and promote integrated urban environments. DAG’s mission is to create, implement and support community centred settlement development in order to address economic, social, and spatial imbalances. DAG systematically work with government and civil society stakeholders to ensure that community leaders and representatives participate more meaningfully in decision‐making, strengthen citizenship and democracy, demonstrate community‐led development processes, and fostering social cohesion. DAG’s strategy on sustainable urban development practice is centred on four functional areas: research, advocacy and lobbying, partnerships and demonstration.
Over the last 30 years, DAG has spearheaded urban development innovations. In the late 1980's, DAG was instrumental in resisting apartheid spatial planning and supported several community based organisation in advancing their needs. In 1988, DAG became one of three founding organisation of the Urban Sector Network (USN), which united national urban sector organisations to collectively respond to the needs of poor communities. In 1990, DAG became the first organisation to talk about the sale of state land, advocating for the social function of land. In 1999, DAG founded a credit facility for the poor, in the form of the Kuyasa Fund, which continues to provide financial support to the poor in situations where commercial banks are unable to. These innovative approaches has resulted in 7,323 low‐cost new houses built; improved tenure security for 27,000+ people; direct assistance in securing community services to 100k+ households in 80+ projects; and strengthened capacity of more than 500 civic leaders, with a focus on women and youth.