Company Overview

Mission
Our mission is to work with a global network of partners to:
- Develop dynamic ideas and analysis on the South African, African and global issues that shape our world.
- Provide practical solutions that accelerate sustainable poverty reduction, promote social justice and ensure that all people’s voices are heard.
- Use authoritative research, innovative teaching and cutting-edge communications to influence key audiences in order to achieve our vision.

Guiding Principles

-Conduct independent analysis and present all perspectives of presented researched issues.
-Encourage a variety of views, analyses and disciplinary approaches rather thantrying to reinforce the ‘established wisdom’ or consensus view.
-Value partnership rather than compete with existing research efforts.
-Design data bases that are to be easily obtainable and informative to the general public.
-Produce research based on feedback from global citizens, and its potential impact on public policy and the quality of life of global citizens.
-Highlight connections among local, state, national and global trends.
-Select projects that are pertinent, thought provoking, and inspire new innovation and ideas.

Vision

-To be the premier independent source of valuable innovations within fields of interest.
-To be the foremost think-tank and the most trustworthy first point of reference on progressive ideas relating to South African and African Region.
As an independent research and development institute with talented and experienced staff, Xubera Research and Development Institute is uniquely positioned to consistently provide quality solutions which are life changing in affected societies. We believe that generating, mobilizing and sharing knowledge, through development research, teaching and communications, we play a pivotal part in realising this vision

Values

We are an organization with integrity, passion to make a difference, value freedom to create, interdisciplinary talent, and a focus on reaching technical and managerial excellence. These values are at the heart of Xubera Research and Development Institute. Our staff has freedom to create and invent in exchange for great responsibility. Our interdisciplinary talent offers clients a resource that is not easily found elsewhere. We are committed to maintaining our technical excellence, supported by an exceptional management team. At Xubera Research and Development Institute, we treat others with respect, empower champions, facilitate team productivity, transform ideas, reward success, and have the fun of sharing in our achievements.
Respect is the foundation for all collaboration and productive teamwork. It is a core Xubera Research and Development Institute value. Champions are individuals who have the passion and drive to make the ‘impossible’ happen. They work productively within teams and develop compelling ideas and value using a methodology we call "NABC" (Needs, Approach, Benefits, Competition). Our staff reward system is based on client success. And there's no feeling quite like being part of a team that has achieved great things

The strategy is built on our core values and work ethics, which are:
-A concern for equity and social justice.
-An explicit recognition of power relations.
-The independence to challenge orthodoxy.
-Transparency and accountability to our stakeholders.
-Engaging a plurality of partners and perspectives.

Our Journey So far...

The Xubera Institute for Research and Development (Xubera) was established originally under the name The Pride (of South African People) in the late 1990’s. At this initial stage it engaged in a number of social development programs. The provision of food parcels to the poor especially HIV and AIDS patients through a partnerships with local businesses in KwaZulu-Natal such as Bread Ahead and Woolworths.

After years of involvement at this level, there was a realization that this intervention as much as it had made an impact it would not really go far in changing the lives of South Africans.

In 2007 the organization transformed itself and focused on a different socio-economic group of South Africans with a slight twist in approach. These were to be the younger generally professional and fairly affluent South Africans from all race groups. Xubera opted to mobilize the so called the middle class with an aim to create an intellectual engagement outside the traditional defined space. Book seminar launches, leadership roundtables discussions and public seminars became a pivotal instruments at engaging the public on a number of social, political, economic and global issues.

These intellectually stimulating and thought provoking sessions have been graced by our own South African and international prominent politicians, academics, philosophers and prominent individuals. Xubera has firmly established itself as a reputable KwaZulu-Natal think tank. Our professional and non-partisan approach to public discourse has attracted number of young professionals, academics, researchers and government representatives and civil servants as some of our frequent guests.

We highly respect and subscribe to the constitution of this country. Our primary objective is to find the middle ground for all the challenges facing our beloved country. The well-being of our country and its future is our primary concern. We are not a mouth piece of any political organization, we create an enabling environment for all South African citizens to challenge and provide solutions to the predicaments facing our country.

What Makes Xubera Institute for Research and Development Different

We see our current strengths relying primarily on our:
-People-centred approach on development which recognizes the many faces of poverty, and the way that power differentials can mediate progress towards equity, justice and poverty reduction.

-Integrated ways of working, combining research, teaching and communications work. Xubera is one of the only research and development organizations that works hard to integrate these elements as we recognize the positive synergies that their interaction generates.

Multidisciplinary approach which we see as essential in tackling the complex and multifaceted challenges of development in our society.

Unique network of partners and contacts which stretches from international agencies to grassroots activists and spans civil society, governments, the business sector and the media.

Reputation and credibility provides Xubera with the convening power to bring together leading players in research, development policy and practice and to capture the attention of a wide audience.

A unique combination of development research, teaching and communications

In all of our work, Xubera aims to challenge convention and to generate fresh ideas that foster new approaches to development policy and practice. Such problem-focused thinking requires a commitment to a multidisciplinary approach, not just within social sciences or economic field, but across research, teaching and communications.

Research

The development research programs at Xubera are organized in five closely linked multidisciplinary teams. We also host a growing number of international, multi-partner research projects. Through collaborative ways of working we aim to establish creative and equal partnerships in which research agendas can be driven by global perspective.

Globalization : Focusing on the dynamics of the global environment in which the private sector investment and growth is necessary for poverty reduction

Governance : Focusing on the politics of state engagement and public action in developing countries

Knowledge, Technology and Society : Exploring how science and technology can improve the livelihood and well-being of the poor, and promote greater social justice.

Participation, Power and Social Change: Looking at how and where participation by citizens can make a difference to questions of social justice and development.

Vulnerability and Poverty Reduction. : Improving the understanding of vulnerability, and designing effective means of addressing it, as a central component of poverty reduction.

Professionals are Our target Market

Xubera believes that it is crucial that this group has an in-depth understanding of our social, economic and political history, so the weaknesses in our past as a country are not repeated in the future. We learn from them. At the same time we need to have insight into current and past international affairs affecting countries similar to ours especially those from which we can learn. We believe that this level of awareness and continuous engagement will put our country in much better prospects for a prosperous and united nation. The reason why Xubera is targeting professionals are as follows:

-Professional are the backbone of our society.
-The progression or downfall of a society primarily depends on the strength of professionals.
-Professionals are suppose to be the innovators, pathfinders, protectors and the thinkers of society.
-This stratum of our society yields massive influence when it comes to policy formulation and are other governance issues and discourse
-They are the role of models for today’s youth as they are the bearers of the future
-It is for the above mentioned reasons that we must focus on this group and make them aware of their massive responsibility to our society.