THE ROLE OF SACCOL

What is the relationship between SACCOs and SACCOL?

The Savings and Credit Cooperative League of SA (SACCOL) Ltd. was established by Savings and Credit Co-operatives (SACCOs) and Credit Unions around South Africa as their National Association.

SACCOL has three primary functions:

      1. Representative of the SACCO movement both locally and internationally.
      2. To provide development services to SACCOs. SACCOL services its member organisations by providing training, advice and other technical services as well as accepting deposit from and making loans to its members.
      3. To regulate SACCOs.

SACCOL is owned and controlled by its member SACCOs. Members exercise proportional voting rights according to the size of its membership. SACCOs elect members onto the SACCOL board and various committees. The fees and dues structure of SACCOL is determined by our members themselves that contributes towards SACCOLs operating cost.

Through a Government Gazette (Vol. 354, No 16167, December 1994) the South African Reserve Bank recognises SACCOL as the representative of Savings and Credit Co-operatives and Credit Unions in South Africa. SACCOs, on the condition they abide by the SACCOL constitution and SACCO statutes as adopted and amended by members at SACCOLs AGM, thus receive an exemption from the Banks Act of 1990. Read Legislation for a more comprehensive overview of legislative requirements for registering as a SACCO with SACCOL and the registrar of Co-operatives.

SACCOL is member of the ACCOSCA, the African Confederation of Cooperative Savings and Credit Associations. ACCOSCA, in turn, together with 86 counties in 7 regions worldwide makes up WOCCU, the World Council of Credit Unions. In total there are over 60,000 SACCOs worldwide, with a total membership of over 100 million individuals.

1. REPRESENTATION

SACCOL represents SACCOs to various AFFILIATE organizations including:  

NCASA - National Cooperative Association of South Africa

ACCOSCA - African Confederation of Cooperative Saving and Credit Associations 

WOCCU - World Council of Credit Unions 

ICA - International Cooperative Alliance

Southern African Savings and Credit Cooperative Associations: (in formation)

FSCC- Financial Sector Campaigns Coalition

SACCOL makes REPRESENTATIONS on behalf of SACCOs to various Government, Statutory and donor bodies. These currently included:

Statutory Bodies

Donor Organizations

SARB - Reserve Bank of South Africa

Registrar of Banks

DTI - Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)

Department of Agriculture

Registrar of Cooperatives

NEDLAC

MFRC - Micro Finance Regulatory Council

Ford Foundation - FF

US AID agency - USAID

Swedish Cooperative Centre- SCC

National Development Agency - NDA

Apex Fund- Presidential Initiative

Irish League of Credit Unions Foundation - ILCUF

Umsobumvo Youth Fund- UYF

 

SACCOs have also mandated SACCOL to raise the CORPORTATE PROFILE of our movement. In this regard SACCOL is involved in:

 

  • Advertising
  • Maintaining a SACCOL web page at www.saccol.org.za
  • Producing yearly calendars
  • The production and distribution of a quarterly newsletter
  • Event presentations
  • Bi-monthly news brief