What is it like to work for us in Southern Africa?
Where we work in this region
What is great about Southern Africa
Oxfam GB works in six countries in Southern Africa: Malawi, Angola, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique.
This is a beautiful region, with terrain varying from mountains to deserts, beaches to forests. Southern Africa is rich in natural resources, and has a rich biodiversity and cultural diversity.
After several decades of political and military confrontation and turmoil, the region is experiencing more political stability with prospects of stronger economic growth. However, climate-change-induced droughts and floods pose a threat to livelihoods, and all aspects of poverty are exacerbated by the AIDS epidemic. 70% of people in this part of Africa live below the US$2 per day poverty level.
South Africa has by far the strongest economy in Southern Africa, encompassing three quarters of the region’s GDP, and placing it in a position of significant political and economic influence throughout the region and globally.
Why should someone come to work in your region? What are the best bits?
Working for Oxfam GB Southern Africa Region gives an opportunity to not only fulfil your career aspirations but to also make a meaningful difference in the lives of the poor. In this region, diversity as wide as you can imagine it is experienced, celebrated and interrogated in both work and social life.
With programmes in both rural and urban settings, you will not be isolated. The road and air networks are effective with cellular and satellite phone networks enabling connectivity whereever you may be.
You would have no reason to go back home on holiday as there are endless opportunities for holiday from back packer to leisure resorts.
What are the key areas of focus for your regional programmes? What are people likely to get involved in?
The impact of the HIV and AIDS pandemic is an overriding factor for all interventions in the Southern Africa region. The core of our HIV and AIDS work is in addressing the continuum of prevention, care, treatment and mitigation. Within this the focus is on addressing underlying issues such as unequal gender relations, stigma and discrimination and denial.
A large part of Oxfam’s work in this region focuses on sustainable livelihoods: projects to
improve income for poor rural farmers, and responding to the specific constraints and opportunities of vulnerable households.
The flooding, drought and cyclones in this region require responses including disaster risk reduction, and humanitarian programmes which focus on food and water assistance.
Based on programme evidence, we support the voice of poor people to be heard in public policy dialogue. Special attention is given to advocacy in South Africa as a pivotal state. Our campaigning and advocacy work focuses on equitable access to free health care and other social services, pro-poor and HIV responsive agrarian policies, and the impact of international trade rules on rural livelihoods.
Other areas of work are Gender Based Violence and its link with HIV & AIDS, implementation of the Africa Women’s Protocol; monitoring of governments’ accountability on women’s human rights, strengthening women’s rights organisations, and supporting women’s groups to influence policy processes at higher levels.
