There is something deeply satisfying about watching people who refuse to wait for permission but rather act and heed the call of citizens cries for help. While governments stammer and stall, committees debate, and bureaucracy swells like an overripe fruit, there are those in society amongst us who roll up their sleeves and get to work. Theodore Roosevelt once praised "the doer of deeds" over the critic who stands on the sidelines pointing out failures with no appetite to act upon it. South Africa, as it turns out, has no shortage of doers.

Take Jozi My Jozi for example, an urban rehabilitation initiative bringing fresh hope to Johannesburg’s beleaguered city centre. Or The Mission for the Inner City, Cape Town’s equivalent, tapping into public-private partnerships to improve the Cape Town CBD. Then there’s AfriForum, the self-reliant civil rights organisation, and Gift of the Givers, a humanitarian powerhouse which knows no equal. These groups may be ideologically worlds apart—some libertarian, some progressive and others deeply communitarian—but they all share one trait: they are getting things done for the people of South-Africa.

What unites them is not a common political philosophy but a common impatience. They have seen what waiting on the state gets you—potholes, power cuts, and promises—and have chosen instead to take responsibility and ownership of the future. They are practical, innovative, solution-orientated, and often more effective than the government agencies meant to perform the very same functions. In a country beset by failing institutions, this is no small feat.

The Rise of the Parallel State

If the South African government were a business, it would be bankrupt, liquidated and no longer inexistence. And yet, society has not collapsed. Why? Because parallel institutions—driven by civil society, the private sector, and communities—are quietly stepping in to fill the void.

Jozi My Jozi, has taken on the Herculean task of cleaning up Johannesburg’s gateways and run down inner cities. It has partnered with the city, but the real muscle comes from corporate sponsors and volunteers. AfriForum, with its neighbourhood watches and private prosecution unit, is another example of a parallel institution doing what the state cannot (or will not).

Then there’s Gift of the Givers, which has become South Africa’s go-to first responder, more trusted than any government disaster relief programme, justifiably so. Whether it’s drilling boreholes in drought-stricken towns or providing medical aid in natural disaster zones, it moves with a speed and efficiency that bureaucracies can only dream of.

Even Cape Town, the best-run metro in the country, knows the limits of government and has embraced civil society and the private sector. Under Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, the city has actively worked with non-governmental organisations and businesses to keep services running where national government has failed to do so. The City Improvement Districts (CIDs) and public-private initiatives like The Mission for the Inner City are prime examples of local government recognising that real progress comes when you let doers get on with the doing.

The Self-Help Ethos

There is a philosophy underpinning all of this, though it’s rarely stated outright: self-reliance.

The Solidarity Movement, calls it “stateproofing”—a conscious effort to make Afrikaner communities independent of the state. But the ethos applies far beyond any single cultural group. It is found in Muslim charities, township stokvels, farm security networks, and community-run schools. It is an understanding, born from experience, that the government cannot be relied upon to provide security, education, healthcare, or even clean streets.

Jozi My Jozi and The Mission for the Inner City are, in a way, attempts at “stateproofing” the urban environment. Their aim is to restore confidence in the city centre—not by waiting for government to act but by creating real, visible improvements that make businesses want to stay and invest. The fact that these projects exist at allis an indictment of local governance in most South African cities. But it is also an example of what is possible when people stop complaining and start working on issues that affect them and their communities.

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The Irony of Government Partnerships

Here lies a great irony: the most successful governments are the ones that realise their own limitations.

The City of Cape Town, unlike Johannesburg or Durban, has made a virtue of working with civil society and business. Rather than treating independent initiatives as competition, it has welcomed them as allies. This is why Cape Town still has a functional CBD while Johannesburg’s has become a byword for urban decay.

Hill-Lewis has understood something fundamental: governance is not about control. It is about enabling solutions and to serve the citizens who you are governing. In embracing initiatives like The Mission for the Inner City, Cape Town is acknowledging that good governance does not mean doing everything yourself—it means letting those who can do it better take the lead and widening the reach.

A prime example is the Cape Town Central City Improvement District, a long-standing public-private partnership that has played a pivotal role in maintaining the city’s economic heart. The CCID, funded by property owners, supplements municipal services by providing extra security, cleaning, and urban management. Dedicated law enforcement officers patrol the streets, while CCTV networks are expanded and maintained through collaboration between the City and business stakeholders. The results speak for themselves: Cape Town’s CBD remains an attractive destination for investment, unlike many other South African city centres that have succumbed to neglect and crime.

Another Cape Town initiative showcasing the power of partnership is it’s homeless shelter expansion project, where the City has worked with NGOs and the private sector to provide more dignified accommodation and social support. Instead of simply enforcing by-laws against vagrancy—an approach that has sparked controversy in many urban centres—Cape Town has invested in expanding safe spaces for the homeless. With the help of private funding and NGO expertise, these facilities offer not just beds but social services aimed at rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

These collaborations reveal a governing philosophy that is refreshingly pragmatic: where government cannot deliver effectively on its own, it should empower those who can. The lesson here is simple but powerful—cities flourish when governments stop hoarding responsibility and start enabling partnerships.

The Future is Not Government-Led

The lesson in all this is clear: South Africa’s future will not be shaped by government policy, no matter who wins the next election. It will be shaped by the doers of deeds. The ones who decide to take up the mantle and constructively build up their communities around them, not just for their own benefit but for the future generations to come.

The question for the state is whether it wants to fight this shift, remaining passive and ineffective or whether it wants to facilitate action. Incompetent governments tend to see independent action as a threat. The smarter ones—like Cape Town—see it as an opportunity, to build bridges and to expand the reach of the municipality to areas and aspects which it could not reach before.

For the rest of us, the challenge is to choose where we place our energy. Complaining about government failure is cathartic but ultimately futile. Supporting, funding, and joining the doers—that is where real change happens. It only takes one of us to stand up and become part of the doers for more to follow.

So the next time someone tells you that South Africa is a failed state, remind them of this: Failure is only final if no one steps up. And in this country, stepping up is what we do best!

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