Funded by private donors, CDE was established in August 1995 to play a critical role in post-apartheid South Africa. CDE is a business-funded policy research and advocacy organisation that aims to develop policies on crucial national issues with the aim of influencing national policies. CDE’s work provides a strategic framework for corporate social investment and public affairs strategy to maximise the contribution of the corporate sector to national development. CDE’s audience is decision-makers throughout the country – those in all levels of government, business, community organisations, trade unions, NGOs and the media
Its areas of focus are:
- Big Cities in South Africa
- Partnership with the Department of Transport in order to formulate a future policy and investment framework for government (and the private sector) that will affect the transport and housing subsidies, land reform projects, infrastructure and other investments. transport and housing subsidies, land reform projects, infrastructure and other investments
- Social Policy for South Africa
- The South African policy making process
- Corporate business and the South African transformation
- Black economic empowerment
CDE’s publications include Monographs, CDE Focus series, Role of Business series, CDE Research series, Big Cities series, Migration series, CDE Round Table series, Policy Skills booklets, CDE Debates series, and other responses to government, including to government papers and strategy documents. CDE also publishes an Occasional Lecture series on leading edge policy thinking on issues such as urban strategy, migration, demographic and income statistics, and rural and small town development.
CDE holds Policy Skills workshops, debates on topics of crucial importance to current national policy issues, and hosts Round Table discussions on key contemporary topics.