Digital Transition Remakes the Grant Landscape
The National Lotteries Commission (NLC) of South Africa has undertaken a significant overhaul of its grant funding system for the 2024/25 cycle, moving toward a fully digital platform designed to improve accessibility, transparency, and efficiency for applicants. This digital shift represents a pivotal moment in the commission’s long-term modernisation strategy, as legacy paper-based processes gave way to a new online environment through the Thuthuka system. The upgrade aims to streamline application submissions, compliance verification, and monitoring of funded projects, while reducing lengthy backlogs and administrative delays
To ensure a smooth transition, the NLC invited civil society organisations, non-profit organisations (NPOs), and non-profit companies (NPCs) to register profiles and apply for funding entirely online. The new system integrates automated checks and links with external bodies such as the Department of Social Development (DSD), the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), and the South African Revenue Service (SARS), ensuring applicants meet key compliance criteria before consideration.
Extensions Provide Breathing Room for Applicants
The transition has not been without challenges. High demand and technical hurdles prompted the NLC to extend several application deadlines to give organisations additional time to complete their submissions on the new platform. Initially, the call for applications was open until February 28, 2025, but was later extended first to March 31 and then beyond to mid-May and even May 30, 2025, to accommodate applicants struggling with the new digital tools.
These extensions were coupled with increased support efforts, including help desk sessions in provincial offices and online assistance to guide applicants through profile registration and compliance documentation, an effort intended to enhance fairness and accessibility.
Compliance and Capacity Challenges Persist
Despite technological progress, many organisations still face barriers related to compliance verification. Recent updates show that a significant number of registered profiles, in the tens of thousands, remain incomplete or non-compliant due to missing documentation or unresolved status with DSD, CIPC, or SARS. To address this, the NLC has scaled up capacity-building initiatives such as stakeholder education, financial compliance workshops, and awareness sessions to support applicants and improve the overall quality of submissions.
Digital Modernisation Part of Broader Reform
This digital grant management overhaul is part of a broader turnaround and governance strategy by the NLC, intended to strengthen internal controls, enhance transparency, and rebuild public trust in lottery-funded social development programmes. Historically, funding delays and administrative backlogs, including underspent budgets in prior cycles, have hampered the timely disbursement of funds to community causes. By adopting real-time monitoring, automated validation, and centralised digital records, the NLC aims to improve accountability and ensure that grant funds reach intended beneficiaries more efficiently.
Looking Ahead: Stabilising Funding and Building Capacity
As the adjudication process unfolds, the NLC continues to prioritise stabilising the 2024/25 funding cycle and embedding digital efficiencies for future rounds. The organisation’s emphasis on technology, compliance support and stakeholder engagement reflects a commitment to reshaping grant funding for long-term sustainability. With additional capacity-building measures underway, the digital shift, though challenging, promises a more transparent, accessible, and equitable funding mechanism for civil society groups across South Africa.
