Independent · Non-partisan · South Africa
The Democracy Protection Network is an independent, non-partisan watchdog. We safeguard South Africa's democratic elections and the governance institutions that give them meaning.
Our vision
A healthy and vibrant multi-party democracy that is delivering on the dreams of South Africans.
Our mission
The safeguarding of South Africa's democratic elections and governance institutions.
About us
The Democracy Protection Network (DPN) is a South African non-profit organisation founded on that simple conviction.
We work where elections are won and lost: at registration stations, in counting halls, and in the oversight bodies that hold power to account between polls. Our observers, researchers and partners gather evidence, publish what we find, and act on it.
DPN is independent of every political party and every arm of government. We are funded by people and organisations who believe South Africa's democracy is worth protecting, and we account publicly for every rand we receive.
We take no funding from political parties or the state, and no instruction from anyone.
We report what we can verify. Our findings are published with their methodology.
Our funding, governance and audited financials are open to public scrutiny.
Our programmes
Three programmes, one purpose: keeping South Africa's democracy honest.
Programme 01
Trained, accredited observers at every stage of the electoral cycle: voter registration, campaigning, voting, counting and results. We document what happens and publish our findings, whether they are comfortable or not.
Programme 02
Rigorous public evidence on the health of South Africa's democracy: electoral integrity, disinformation, political finance and the performance of oversight institutions. Our briefs inform parliament, the press and the public.
Programme 03
Elections only matter if institutions work between them. We track the Chapter 9 institutions, monitor key public appointments, and use the law, from access-to-information requests to litigation, to keep power answerable.
Our board
DPN is governed by an independent board responsible for strategy, oversight and financial accountability.
A banking and finance professional with more than four decades in South African financial services. He held senior management roles in corporate and industrial property lending at NBS Corporate, later part of Nedbank, after beginning his career at Standard Bank, and has run an independent asset finance and short-term lending advisory since 2006. He is based in Durban.
A finance professional and youth development leader who served on the organising committee of the Youth 20 (Y20), the official youth engagement group of the G20, helping shape youth-driven policy on economic inclusion and inequality. A former ambassador for the Oken Samuel Foundation, he holds a BCom in Finance from the University of Johannesburg and a Master's degree in Finance and Investment from the Berlin School of Business and Innovation.
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