Transforming Social Grants into Community Wealth: The Letsema Cooperative Model in Rural South Africa

This study investigates how the traditional practice of letsema can be used to transform social grants into community wealth in the rural village of Jericho, South Africa. It uses a qualitative participatory action learning methodology grounded in the lekgotla approach, an Indigenous, dialogue-driven technique that centres collective reflection, storytelling and shared meaning-making. Data were collected over two days through facilitated workshops using flipcharts, metaphors and group exercises such as the leaky bucket activity; analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis framework, adapted for community co-interpretation. Ethical approval was granted by both the university ethics committee and the Bakwena-ba-Mogopa Traditional Council, with processes conducted in line with Indigenous research ethics emphasising respect, reciprocity, responsibility and recognition. The findings highlight that although social grants are essential for survival, pooling grant income through letsema and structured cooperative governance can reduce economic leakages and build sustainable, community-owned enterprises.