How business can help build a safer South Africa: lessons from the Violence Prevention Forum

Trust, not funding, is what lets businesses become real partners in preventing violence, and that trust takes deliberate work.

Violence affects employees, workplaces, supply chains, communities and the wider conditions in which businesses operate. Drawing on the Violence Prevention Forum’s 2025 engagement with business, this policy brief shows how companies can contribute to prevention as partners, not only funders. It argues that research, practice-based knowledge and facilitated, sustained dialogue across sectors can build trust, deepen mutual understanding and enable business to contribute meaningfully to preventing violence.

About the author

Marcel Korth works as an independent consultant specialising in social impact strategy and implementation, environmental, social and governance and cross-sector partnerships, with a focus on human rights, gender equality and violence prevention.