By: Ntokozo Mazibuko - Media Relations Specialist, Airports Company South Africa

Where opportunities for youth with disabilities remain scarce, the Oasis Skills Development Centre (Oasis) stands as a beacon of hope. Founded 28 years ago by a group of retired teachers with an unwavering belief in the potential of every child, Oasis was born out of a deep need for inclusive education and vocational training for children with disabilities in the region. The centre has grown into a life-changing hub for many - a testament to the power of compassion, vision, and community support.

The story of Oasis is not just about facilities and programmes. It is about people, like current CEO Irvin Eksteen, whose journey embodies the spirit of giving back. Eksteen was inspired to leave the corporate world to lead Oasis in scaling its impact. Today, he and his dedicated team serve a community primarily reliant on SASSA grants, navigating the challenges of sustainability that many non-profit organisations face.

Despite South Africa’s progressive legal framework for disability rights, implementation remains inconsistent. Statistics SA reports a troubling trend: school attendance among children with disabilities continues to lag: infrastructural inaccessibility, limited accommodations, and persistent stigma are systemic barriers.

Against this backdrop, the partnership between Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) and Oasis is more than a corporate social investment — it is a commitment to inclusive, sustainable development that transforms lives.

As part of our Socio-Economic Development Strategy, ACSA invests in communities surrounding our airports to help foster transformation and resilience. In the 2024/25 financial year, we allocated R7.9 million to initiatives ranging from early childhood development and food technology to malaria prevention and renewable energy. Our approach aligns with the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act and the National Development Plan, ensuring that our impact is both strategic and measurable.

In Upington, where ACSA contributes over R377 million to local GDP and supports 242 jobs, we take special pride in our partnership with Oasis. One of our most impactful collaborations has been the co-funding of a solar energy installation, designed to improve operational sustainability in the face of persistent load-shedding and rising utility costs.

The solar energy project, valued at over R760 000, was made possible through a blended funding model involving the National Lotteries Commission, ACSA, and Oasis’s own contributions. The installation has delivered immediate benefits: eliminating the need for costly generators, stabilising power supply to vital infrastructure, and generating long-term cost savings.

Beyond operational efficiencies, the project has also catalysed local empowerment - employing youth contractors and expanding Oasis’s capacity in ICT training and entrepreneurship development. The partnership is more than a line item in a CSR report — it is a replicable model for inclusive, rural development. By integrating renewable energy with community programming, we not only reduce environmental impact but also enable economic resilience and skills development in underserved regions.

Yet infrastructure and education alone are not enough. As Oasis looks to the future, one of its most compelling goals is to bridge the gap between training and employment. 

Unemployment among people with disabilities remains alarmingly high in South Africa. Studies suggest that eight to nine out of every 10 working-age persons with disabilities are unemployed. Even those who find jobs often face low pay, job insecurity, and limited career mobility. The causes are multifaceted: inaccessible infrastructure, complicated recruitment processes, and deeply entrenched social stigma.

Oasis is working to change that. Its training is specifically designed with business needs in mind. But real inclusion requires a community-wide commitment. We call on the business sector in Upington to take up the mantle and become co-owners of this vision.

Airports are more than transport hubs. They are engines of local development, gateways to opportunity, and anchors in their communities. Our partnership with Oasis Skills Development Centre reflects this ethos in action.

Partnerships like these offer a blueprint for what is possible when business and community work together.