iZinga Assist Builds Digital Verification for South African NGOs

In Short

Derek Lubner is co-founder and chairman of iZinga Assist, a digital non-profit verification and support platform.

iZinga Assist is focused on helping South African non-profit organisations demonstrate credibility and connect with donors.

What Happened

iZinga Assist is positioning itself as a way to reduce the trust gap between donors and grassroots NGOs in South Africa.

Lubner said the core challenge in giving is not sending money, it is verifying where it went.

He shared an example from his time managing his late parents’ foundation, Make an Immediate Difference. He would ask beneficiary organisations to submit wish lists for the coming year.

If an organisation asked for items like cricket bats and nets, a classroom, or a soccer field, he would consider the request and agree to fund all or part of it. His condition was that the organisation send a photograph showing what the money had paid for.

Lubner estimates that barely a quarter of the organisations ever sent the requested pictures. That left him with “no straightforward way” to confirm whether the equipment had been purchased or the project delivered.

Why It Matters

iZinga Assist is betting that digital verification, meaning checking and recording proof in a structured online way, can help non-profits improve governance, build donor trust, and access funding.

The company is also aimed at tackling the paperwork that keeps grassroots organisations from philanthropic support. For donors, the promise is clearer evidence of outcomes. For NGOs, the promise is an easier way to show credibility when approaching funders.