Planact is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1985 to support marginalised communities to ameliorate the suffering and deprivation caused by apartheid in South Africa. The organisation celebrated 40 years of existence in 2025, and to celebrate, it commissioned Fixed to research, write, edit and publish a history, engaging central themes in Planact’s history as a lens for understanding the history and future of the nation of South Africa.
Client
Planact
Year
2024-2025
Partners
Planact, Web designer and Graphic designer
Planact contracted Fixed to facilitate a collective processing and recording of its history, with current and historical ‘Planacters’, as part of celebrations during 2025. The publication was designed to be part of a communications strategy, enhancing the reputation of the organisation with reference to its long history and deep expertise. The publication was written up as four distinct themes, which did not cover a comprehensive history but rather drew on critical themes in the organisation’s and the country’s history, to highlight Planact’s expertise and start national conversations on:
- Unions, Labour & Livelihoods
- Local Government Systems & Structures
- Housing, Migration & Informal Settlements
- The Role of Civil Society
The publication is punctuated with questions, prompting readers to engage the history critically, to think about contemporary roles, relationships, policies, processes, and how Planact’s experience can help us understand these better.

