San indigenous NGO in South Africa specializing in research ethics, equitable international partnerships, and participatory youth development.
SASI is a South African NGO based in Kimberley that represents and advocates for San (Bushmen) indigenous communities across Southern Africa. In EU-funded research, they contribute two distinct capabilities: participatory co-design methods for engaging marginalized youth in creative industries and employability programs, and authoritative community-based perspective on the ethics of international research partnerships involving indigenous peoples and developing countries. They bring authentic grassroots legitimacy to European-led research consortia working on global justice, responsible research practices, and North-South cooperation — a role no European institution can replicate.
The TRUST project (2015-2018) focused explicitly on creating trustworthy, responsible, and equitable partnerships in international research, covering compliance, research integrity, and global justice from a developing-country perspective.
The PARTY project (2015-2019) developed participatory tools for human development with youth, applying service design and co-creation methodologies to address unemployment and employability in underserved communities.
As a San Institute Trust, SASI's participation in both projects draws on deep institutional experience engaging with indigenous communities in Southern Africa as both subjects and co-producers of research.
The PARTY project applied creative industries frameworks to youth unemployment, demonstrating practical experience using cultural production as a vehicle for economic inclusion and human development.
Both of SASI's H2020 projects launched in 2015, so temporal evolution within EU funding is structurally limited. However, the two projects reveal two complementary faces of the organization: PARTY focused on practical, community-level tools for youth development through co-creation and creative industries, while TRUST operated at a more systemic level — addressing the structural ethics of how international research engages developing countries and indigenous communities. This pairing suggests SASI moves between applied community work and policy-level advocacy on research governance. The emphasis on global justice, compliance, and research integrity in TRUST signals an organization concerned not just with participating in international research, but with changing the terms on which that participation happens.
SASI appears to be positioning itself as a specialist voice on the ethics and governance of international research involving indigenous and developing-country communities — a niche with growing demand as EU funders increase scrutiny of Global South partnerships and responsible research practices.
SASI has never led an H2020 project, joining always as a partner or third party — consistent with their role as a specialist contributor bringing a unique community perspective rather than a research-executing institution. Despite only two projects, they have worked with 18 distinct partners across 11 countries, indicating comfort operating within large, diverse international consortia. Partners should expect SASI to play an advisory, legitimizing, and community-liaison role rather than leading technical work packages.
SASI has engaged with 18 unique partners across 11 countries through just two projects, reflecting the large international consortia typical of MSCA-RISE and CSA funding schemes. Their network spans European institutions and Global South partners, with South Africa as their operational anchor.
SASI is one of the very few H2020 participants that directly represents a San indigenous community, giving them irreplaceable legitimacy in research on developing-country ethics, indigenous rights, and equitable research partnerships. For consortia building projects around responsible research in Africa, community co-design, or Global South engagement, SASI offers a connection and credibility that no European university or research institute can substitute. Their combination of grassroots indigenous community work and engagement with EU-level research governance frameworks is rare among African NGOs.
