Business School

  • When your living room is a micro-art gallery: How South African townships are building a community-owned creative economy

    EXPERT INSIGHT: The Maboneng Township Arts Experience has flipped the extractive tourism approach to retain visitors’ spending in their host communities. It’s a generation’s work, explains Siphiwe Ngwenya.

  • Cathy Benwell, founder of A Good Thing: ‘Every donation creates a relationship’

    Good Leaders Podcast: Could every unwanted laptop, pillow or sofa spark something bigger? A Good Thing’s co-founder Cathy Benwell tells Tim West how her circular economy social business turns would-be waste into social impact.

  • Social enterprise and impact investing events in 2026 and beyond

    Ready to network, learn and get inspired? Don't book your diary without the Pioneers Post roundup of impact economy events coming soon – for social entrepreneurs, impact investors and all those working within the global impact economy.

  • Pioneers Post Business School: How to do good business, better

    The tools and insight you need to do good business, better. Get expert advice, practical insight and frontline examples on key business management topics from our network of social business practitioners and advisors. 

Failure

Why do some social investments fail?

Last year CAF Venturesome examined why some of its social investments have failed to repay in full. CAF's team focussed on financial “failure”, rather than failure to achieve social impact. What are the most common reasons loans don't get repaid?

Caroline Mason_social investment_leadership_interview

Investor Profile: Caroline Mason

After feeling completely disenchanted by the mainstream financial sector, CEO of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation Caroline Mason explains why the world of social finance appealed. 

Mountain climbing_snow_hiking_sport_Winter

5 Critical challenges faced by entrepreneurs

Calling all social entrepreneurs! Applications for UnLtd's Big Venture Challenge are now open. The programme's coordinators reflect on some of the key challenges faced by past participants of the business support programme.