Our Philosophy
Open source represents a major social innovation, with potential that extends well beyond the realm of technology. We know that we can create better software using openness, participation and community. Why not use these same ingredients to create better education? Better government? A better world? This is what we mean by open philanthropy.
Taking open source thinking beyond the world of software starts at home. As a Foundation, we believe that everything we do and fund should be open. This means insisting on open licensing, actively sharing the things that we and our partners create and working collaboratively with others who share our goals. It also means learning and improving, constantly.
Of course, this isn't just about how we do things. It's also about what we do. Everything we work on - from education to intellectual property to telecoms - is meant to demonstrate the power of openness, participation and creativity. We believe this work can help us build an open knowledge society, both in South Africa and around the World.
Follow these links to read related documents and see our open philanthropy philosophy in action: