1. Presentation on the South African Federation of Burial Society (SAFOBS) Secondary Co operatives to the Burial Society Indaba Date: 28/10/2011

2. What is a Co-operative?
“an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically controlled enterprise.”
A membership based business organisation that must generate income for its sustainability as well as its members.

3. Principles of Cooperatives
Cooperatives operate on the basis of principles and ethics of good practice;
Open and Voluntary Membership
Democratic Member Control
Member Economic Participation
Autonomy and Independence
Education, Training and Transformation
Cooperation among Co-operatives
Concern for Communities

4. Purpose to which Coops began
to address the problems of economic and social development i.e
Popular ownership of capital and equal opportunity of education and employment for all of society
Confront the potential poverty caused by replacement and displacement of labour
Community as a means for human development

5. Types of Coops
Service Cooperatives – are cooperatives established by members to receive decent services i.e SACCO’s, Consumers, Housing etc
Worker Cooperatives – are formed by members to create decent employment to themselves i.e construction cooperatives, agricultural cooperatives etc

6. Key activities when forming a cooperative
Development of an idea into a business plan
Verify and identify your market – do a feasibility study
Ensure that among the cooperative members a skills base for the industry
Check the funding possibilities for your idea
Register yourselves as a cooperative

7. Support Opportunities to Cooperatives in SA
SAFOBS-Secondary co operatives
SANACO – cooperatives movement
Thedti – has an oversight policy responsibility
National Development Agencies (NDA)
Development Finance Institutions (DFI)
Provincial Agencies
Government departments
Municipalities

8. SAFOBS believes that...
Cooperatives can create more work and wealth opportunities to the majority of the people
Cooperatives can assist the government to reach its targets and ultimately eradicate poverty
Cooperatives develop communities socially, economically and culturally

9. Continue
Promote the concept and practice of a burial society – becoming the organized voice of the burial societies;
Educate and train members in burial society organization and management;
Share information through quarterly publication of Burial Society Voice newsletter
Minimize of funeral costs, through bargaining and own insurance schemes.
Engage in socio-economic projects, including consumer co-operatives, coffin production and sale and financial co-operative projects.

10. Thank You! Contact: Build the co-op burial society movement!
Thulane Mabuza
Tel: +27 (0)
Fax: +27 (0)
Mobile: +27 (0)
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