About us

Our work is that of training our co-operative members to play an active role in the development of resilient, sustainable and futuristic co-operatives, non-profit companies and community based enterprises.​

A Community Institute

ACI-SA was founded in January 2017 by three community members of Soweto in Protea Glen, South Africa. The founding of this institute was influenced by a concern to increase access to quality higher education in South Africa and Africa at large. The kind of higher education that ACI-SA seeks to provide is that which focuses on the principles of a shared economy, social innovation and sustainable livelihoods. ​

Training Divisions

CESU provides services to the community enterprise sector. The services provided by this unit are accessed by nonprofits, co-operatives and community based enterprise through member organisation registration.​

The Community Enterprise Sector: Cooperatives, NPOs & Progressive Organisations

Training our members to play an active role in the development of resilient, sustainable and futuristic co-operatives, non-profit companies and community based enterprises.​

Our Collective Statement

"We are a community of academics interested in the development of the community enterprise sector and skilling members of progressive organisations. Combining all aspects of academic training, vocational skills development and graduates placement in the community enterprises we are able to improve the performance of the sector."

CSERL - Cooperatives and Socio Economic Research LAB

The CSERL is a venture of ACISA and led by Mr Sizwe Mkwanazi. The CSERL studies the socio-economic conditions of South African with a specific focus on solving problems facing waste pickers. The CSERL is a trailblazer identifying new opportunities for material waste picking and processing. The current focus of CSERL is safe mobility of waste pickers. The CSERL is looking for partners to be able to deal with the following challenges:

• Road use by waste pickers

• Recognition of waste pickers as key players in landfill waste reduction

• Transportation of waste materials safely and with less physical intensity

• Considering the needs of people with less strength to carry and move waste materials

• Improve trolley safety and design safer and cheaper mobile waste moving cycles

CSERL is developing tools and improved cycle style waste material moving equipment that can provide a ride for participants and affordable, and altered trolleys for moving waste material working alongside waste pickers.

The following images show some of the issues that CSERL is aiming to solve by improving mobility:

CSERL confronts the challenge of affordable safe trolleys that waste pickers can ride on, rent where possible and also those that can address the needs of female waste pickers.