Social Facilitation and Community Engagement in Rural Communities: Lessons from KwaXimba

When we talk about infrastructure projects in rural areas, it’s easy to focus on the engineering – the pipes, pumps, plants, and timelines. But at the heart of every project are the people whose lives are directly affected. That’s where social facilitation and community engagement come in. Without it, even the best-designed project can stall, face resistance, or fail to meet its purpose.

At Kumalo & Co., we’ve seen this first-hand through our involvement in the KwaXimba Potable Water Supply Project. The project rolled out in two phases under the KwaXimba Traditional Authority in eThekwini, and while the engineering was impressive, it was the social facilitation side that really taught us what works—and what doesn’t—when engaging rural communities.

Here are some of the key lessons we’re carrying forward.

Stakeholder Engagement: Relationships and Representation

Strong relationships with community leaders are non-negotiable. In KwaXimba, the role of the iNkosi and ward councillor was central. But relationships alone aren’t enough—representation matters too.

What we learnt: If your Project Liaison Committee (PLC) doesn’t reflect all groups—women, youth, people living with disabilities, faith-based organisations—you run the risk of gatekeeping and mistrust. Inclusivity builds accountability and keeps the community engaged.

Community Profiling: Knowing the Community You Serve

You can’t design solutions for people you don’t understand. Community profiling is meant to give a clear picture of local needs, but in KwaXimba, restrictions on surveys and interviews limited how much information could be gathered.

What we learnt: Negotiate access for data collection early, and if that’s not possible, get creative with alternative methods—focus groups, mapping, or rapid appraisals. Always bring the PLC into this process to ensure reports reflect reality.

Risk and Conflict Management: Expect the Unexpected

No matter how well you plan, challenges will arise—whether it’s local labour disputes or political tensions filtering into the project space.

What we learnt: Have a proper risk register in place from the start, and keep it updated. Grievance mechanisms are a must, and they have to be fair and transparent. Equipping the social facilitation team with conflict resolution skills makes all the difference.

Localisation and Opportunities: Fairness is Everything

Work and business opportunities are often the most visible “benefits” of projects, which means they’re also the most contested.

What we learnt: Setting up a Labour Desk and Enterprise Development Desk keeps things transparent. When opportunities are spread fairly, trust builds. When they’re not, conflict follows. Simple as that.

Capacity Building: Leaving Skills Behind

Projects shouldn’t just build infrastructure—they should build people too. In KwaXimba, training initiatives added real value, but the limited number of PLC members reduced how widely skills could be shared.

What we learnt: Run a skills audit early, train PLC members in governance and advocacy, and make sure your PLC is diverse. That way, the benefits of training ripple outwards instead of staying in a small circle.

Land and Resettlement: Handle with Care

Land is always sensitive. Employment expectations often creep into compensation conversations, and if they aren’t managed well, disputes arise.

What we learnt: Engage property owners early and often. Have standard compensation policies, but keep them flexible enough to fit local realities. Most importantly, be consistent and clear in how you communicate.

Community Development: Beyond the Build

Infrastructure is one outcome, but communities often need more. In KwaXimba, initiatives like skills development and waste management workshops showed just how much additional value can be created.

What we learnt: Treat community development activities as essential, not as side projects. And when appointing local service providers, focus on capability and reliability—not preferences or politics.

The Big Takeaway: Align from the Start

The biggest lesson from KwaXimba is this: social facilitation needs to be embedded from day one. It can’t play catch-up with the engineers and contractors. When facilitation, project management, and construction teams are aligned from the start, risks are managed better, communities feel involved, and projects finish stronger.

At Kumalo & Co., this experience reaffirmed what we already knew—social facilitation is not just a support function. It’s central to building trust, unlocking cooperation, and ensuring that rural communities truly benefit from development.

Written by Nombasa Kumalo

Managing Director at Kumalo & Co.