The new era demands new mindsets and new solutions.​

Awqaf: The Strategy for Change

Reinvent Rediscover Revolutionise

Having realised that Muslims have a duty (a) to become an empowered, influential, and a benevolent community; (b) to be proactive not only in the holistic development of its own communities but also in the empowerment of historically disadvantaged communities; and (c) to contribute meaningfully to the new South Africa, the National Awqaf Foundation of South Africa (AWQAF SA) has been founded with the following vision, mission, aims and objectives:

Muslims of South Africa

Have played a valiant role in the struggles against colonial as well as apartheid era oppressors in the past. Muslims, like the majority of  South Africans,  also suffered under a  range of oppressive and humiliating laws and were robbed of their basic human rights.

The new post-apartheid era now presents new challenges and opportunities for  South African Muslims, both within the community as well as citizens of the new democracy. However, there are several concerns shared by the Ummah in almost all walks of life including the fields of Dawah, leadership, politics, economics, education, ethics and morality, intellectual, spirituality, and religion. But to address these concerns,  challenges, and opportunities, the community must be organised at every level and initiate projects that would attempt to address these issues. New institutions need to be developed to harness the disparate strengths that lie dormant within the Ummah and be utilised for the collective power that Allah and His prophets (a.s.) require of a Muslim community.

We need to plan and implement now for a bright future for all in this beautiful country of ours.

Vision Statement

AWQAF SA is an independent non-profit organisation founded for the social, economic, political, educational, intellectual, moral, religious, and spiritual empowerment of Muslim and historically disadvantaged communities. It aims to contribute meaningfully towards the growth and development of post-apartheid South Africa through the initiation and/or support of strategically focused and sustainable community development and poverty alleviation projects.

Mission Statement

We are committed to becoming a broad-based, inclusive, community development agency that encourages self-reliance among the communities it serves. In all our activities and programmes we will strive to adhere to a high standard of fairness, ethics, integrity, and professionalism, and foster mutual respect and understanding among the diverse cultures, faiths, and peoples of our country. Central to our mission is the mobilisation of community capital and community re-investment.

Community Capital Mobilisation

We will strive to mobilise, invest, and manage awqaf and other community capital.

Community Re-Investment

We will endeavour to initiate and support strategic projects and programmes for the integrated development of beneficiary/target communities.

In fulfilling our mission, we are deeply committed to advancing and protecting the interests of our donors, waqifoon, investors, members, beneficiaries, strategic partners, and other stakeholders.

People
Paisa
Projects

  • People

    People are the lifeblood. They give of their wealth and of themselves. They help the organization in structures, in funding, in advising, and broadly in community service.

  • Projects

    Projects are the delivery instruments and leadership incubators of community development. Through projects Awqaf SA ensures that the organization achieves its mission and goals.

  • Paisa

    Paisa* is the core business of the organization – the mobilisation of funds in the form of Waqf, Lillah, and Zakah. Without a sustainable means of funding projects, Awqaf SA community development projects will cease to exist.

The PPP factors are interrelated and function as a system, as critical cogs in a machine. If one is absent, the system collapses.

Awqaf SA ensures that all three pillars are developed on an ongoing basis.

*(a Swahili / Urdu/ Persian word, meaning money)

Corporate Profile
The National Awqaf Foundation of South Africa (AWQAF SA™) was informally initiated on the 27 December 2000 (corresponding to 27 Ramadaan 1421) and registered as a Trust under Masters Registration Number T1269/03 on 02 April 2003 in terms of the Trust Property Control Act 57 of 1988.

The organization was registered as a Non Profit Organization (032-519-NPO) on the 10 May 2004 and as a Public Benefit Organization (PBO: 18/11/13/2226) in terms of the Income Tax Act on 10 February 2005.

Prior to registration as a Trust, the organisation operated as an Association not for Gain.

Awqaf SA has been involved in the development of the widely adopted NGO Corporate Governance Charter. Awqaf SA has also drafted its own Corporate Governance and Ethics Charter.


Our People

Council of Mutawallees

Haroon Kalla (Executive Trustee)

Shiraz Gani (Chairman)

Ahmed Saeed Moola (Executive Trustee)

Akhtar Thokan (Executive Trustee)

Dr Khadija Moloi (Patron Trustee)

Sh Thafier Najjaar (Patron Trustee)

Sh Ebrahim Gabriels (Patron Trustee)

Ml Abdul Khaliq Allie (Patron Trustee)

Founders Council

S Ghoor

MA Loonat

Dr RAM Salojee

Dr SA Thokan

R Bhayat

Management Board

Zeinoul Abedien Cajee CA(SA) (Founding CEO 2001-2009; 2014 -)

Mickaeel Collier (Deputy CEO 2014-)

Sedick Isaacs (Secretariat and Johannesburg )

Zaffar Ahmed (Deputy CEO – Durban)

Raaghieb Najjaar (CPA) (ex CEO 2009 -2014)

Farouk Limalia

Dr Abdul Kareem Elgoni

Dr Ismail Munshi (Patron – Exoficio)

Faizel Mahomed (Ex Trustee)

Goolam Kolia

Muhsin Kolia (Finance)

Yusuf Cassim

Dr. Abdul-Karim Elgoni

Convenors & Teams

Dr MS Karodia (Environment)

Ghadija Chopdat (Leadership & Education)

Amina Cajee (Youth & Cultural)

Osman Arbee CA(SA) (Corporate Governance)

GH Kolia (Accounting Systems)

MZ Essa CA(SA) (Project Accountant)

Asma Hassan (WSSD/Social Development)

Dr Yusuf Eshak (Heritage)

Ml Ahmed Fazel (Shari’ah Advisor)

Shanaaz Hassem Jaylarnie (Secretariat)

Shaheen Essop (Sahuc Representative)

Imtiaz Ahmed (Investment Advisory)

Service Providers
These are the list of Awqaf SA Service Providers

Auditors: KPMG, Jan Smuts Avenue, Parktown, Johannesburg 2000

Attorneys: Tayobs, ESB Centre, Mint Road, Fordsburg. 2092

Bankers: Nedbank, FNB, Albaraka

ICT: TEXO

Accountants: M A Kolia & Associates, P O Box 95, Lenasia. Gauteng 1820

Digital Marketing: Hasanain Abdullah, 33 Arba Street, Penly