The Institute of Race Relations is South Africa’s oldest think tank and one of Africa’s most influential.
For almost 100 years we’ve fought for non-racialism, civil liberties, and economic opportunity.
Now, we’re raising a $30 million endowment to guarantee our independence and secure our mission for the next century.
South Africa stands at a crossroads that will shape not only its own destiny but also Africa’s. If the country can return to strong, market-driven growth, it can lift millions out of poverty and inspire a continent.
That is the mission of the IRR: to secure the principles of liberty, property rights, non-racialism, and free enterprise as the foundation for prosperity in South Africa and in the region.
For donors who care about those same values, the IRR offers a way to strengthen them where they are most needed. A successful, stable South Africa will serve as an example to the world’s youngest continent, and as a reliable democratic partner to the West in an era of global competition.
Supporting the IRR is both a moral commitment and a strategic investment in freedom, stability, and shared growth.
Since 2010, South Africa’s economy could have been 1.6 times larger than it is now if it had grown at a healthy rate. That would have meant millions more jobs, stronger public services, and expanding opportunities.
Economic growth is not just an economic statistic. It is the foundation of social stability, business confidence, and national progress. Without secure property rights, sound money, and the rule of law, there is no platform for wealth creation.
The IRR exists to secure those foundations – so South Africa’s people, businesses and communities can thrive.
Growth makes everything better. Supporting the IRR is both a moral commitment and a strategic investment in freedom, stability, and opportunity.
The IRR played a central role in bringing down apartheid through sustained research, advocacy, and coalition-building.
For a hundred years, it has exposed the anti-growth and anti-freedom policies of successive governments and fearlessly promoted better alternatives.
Nelson Mandela was a recipient of an IRR bursary in the 1940s. In 1964, he quoted from the IRR’s flagship publication, the South Africa Survey, in his “I am prepared to die” speech at the Rivonia Trial.
Today, our work is shifting the national narrative toward economic growth, property rights, and the rule of law. Media tracking shows the impact of our work, with hundreds of citations and interviews referencing the Institute’s research and writing every year.
We are proud to be South Africa’s leading think tank – advising policymakers, business leaders, and civil society. Supporting us places you alongside the great philanthropists who believe Africa can rise and have the will to make it happen.
Many donors today hesitate because they’ve seen institutions drift from their founders’ intent. The IRR offers a rare assurance of stability: for a full century it has held to its classically liberal course – non-racialism, liberty, property rights, and economic opportunity – while others have yielded to ideological fashion.
As the late John Kane-Berman, the IRR’s fifth CEO, captured in his memoir Between Two Fires, the IRR has learned to hold the classically liberal centre between left- and right-wing extremes.
That constancy is reinforced by a governance structure and membership culture built to prevent capture. Leaders and staff share a deep commitment to the mission and defend it against drift.
Donors can be confident that the IRR will still champion freedom and reasoned liberalism a century from now. Just as it has since 1929.
For nigh on 100 years – since 1929, well before the advent of apartheid – the South African Institute of Race Relations has stood for one mission: to defend liberty, protect property rights, and expand opportunity for all South Africans regardless of race.
We don’t chase quick wins or the politics of the day. We play the long game – producing rigorous research, advocating principled policy, and shaping the national conversation for decades.
In an era of noise, fads, and short-term agendas, the IRR remains steady, independent, and effective.
A $30 million endowment will provide the IRR with the permanent and independent resources it needs to carry its mission forward for the next century.
As a successful businessperson, you know that winning companies hire the best people for the job, give them a clear objective, and then get out of the way so they can deliver results.
The same principle applies here. By entrusting the IRR with a well-defined mission and the means to pursue it independently, you empower a team with a century-long record of competence and conviction to do what it does best: defend liberty and promote prosperity.
An endowment transforms the IRR into an institution that cannot be silenced or swayed:
Free to speak the truth, to defend liberty without compromise, and to champion the policies that build prosperity for generations to come.
Giving to the IRR Liberty 100 fund is not charity. It is a strategic investment in freedom and prosperity for South Africa and the continent. For nearly a century, the IRR has proved its impact by shaping policy, influencing debate, and defending the principles that make growth possible.
Lean, disciplined, and effective, the IRR delivers exceptional results for every rand entrusted to it. Independent audits confirm its integrity year after year, while its reputation makes association with the IRR a mark of prestige.
For many donors, contributions may also be tax-deductible – a practical benefit to a principled choice.
Your gift becomes a living investment that sustains the IRR’s work through every political and economic cycle. It will help secure the foundation on which South Africa’s future depends.
For nearly 100 years, the IRR has stood between South Africans and the forces of poverty, populism, and tyranny. With your help, it can secure the next century of liberty, opportunity, and growth.
The IRR is more than an institution. It is an idea – that South Africa’s future can be better than its past, and that principled, independent voices can make it so. Your support can make all the difference.
Contact us to learn more.