ActionAid has been operating in South Africa since 2006 and our international headquarters are based in Johannesburg.

South Africa is a country of staggering beauty and cultural diversity. However, racial, social and financial inequality have taken their toll on a nation where 48 per cent of people live below the poverty line. South Africa also has the highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world (nearly six million).

Child sponsorship in South Africa

ActionAid is supporting local schools to renovate and improve so they are the best environments possible for children to grow and develop. But none of this would be possible without sponsorships. Athenkosi Mkhathali (age 9, pictured right) says "Since I don't see my mother and father very often, it's nice to tell my sponsor about my grades."

Education is one of the best ways for people to lift themselves out of poverty, yet children often miss out on an education when their families can’t afford school fees or uniforms. With so many adults contracting HIV and AIDS, more and more youngsters are also forced to leave school and care for their families. We work alongside local communities to get more affordable schooling for all – especially girls – as well as running adult literacy classes that could lead to better-paid jobs.

• Sponsor a child today

Health and women's rights in South Africa

Many South Africans living with HIV/AIDS are from poor rural communities and cannot afford the cost of travelling to the nearest health clinic. ActionAid is working to address the huge range of problems caused by HIV and AIDS. We are, for example, providing education for groups of women on how to prevent contracting it and passing it on. We are also working to ensure better healthcare is easily accessible and to end violence against women.

We campaign to protect communities threatened by mining activities and to improve the wages and conditions of women farm workers producing fruit for British supermarkets. We also work to improve access to land, better farming techniques and safe water for all.

How you can help

When you sponsor a child in South Africa, you'll be providing the resources for real, long-term change. You'll get two letters a year from the child you sponsor, and updates from the country programme to tell you how the money you are spending is changing the community your child lives in.

• Sponsor a child today