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KAS South Africa and the Western Cape Economic Development Partnership (EDP) successfully hosted “Navigating transformation: The use of partnership methodology in economic reform” on 23 October 2025 at the Hasso Plattner d‑School Afrika in Cape Town. The one‑day event formed the second iteration of the EDP X‑Change platform and brought together stakeholders from government, civil society, business, and academia to examine how partnering can support South Africa’s economic and governance transitions.
Discussions highlighted the pivotal role of collaboration in polarised contexts, demonstrating how partnership models can enhance institutional capability, improve decision‑making, and unlock stalled systems. Participants engaged in Thought Labs, learning exchanges and curated networking sessions that strengthened relationships and fostered shared understanding of systems‑change methodologies. Feedback indicated that the event deepened cross‑sector learning, expanded professional networks, and reinforced partnering as a practical governance tool.
While the event successfully strengthened a community of changemakers and expanded awareness of partner work, participants noted the need for additional structure to translate shared insights into concrete joint initiatives, an improvement earmarked for future iterations. A knowledge product and post‑event media outputs are being prepared for broader dissemination, supporting KAS’s objective of fostering institutions committed to collaborative, sustainable reform.
