How We Engage and Advocate

SACU’s public outreach is rooted in bringing strengthening our collective voices and ensuring our community’s needs are understood and met. We work with organizations or local, state, and federal government to advise on the needs and concerns of Southern Africans and the broader immigrant community.

We partner with other African community organizations across the DMV to organize, mobilize, and connect Africans in the region—building unity, shared purpose, and a stronger presence in local civic spaces. Our members have served on key advisory bodies, including the African Affairs Advisory Group in Montgomery County, Maryland, the African Immigrant Committee (AIC), and Panafest, helping shape policies, programs, and conversations that impact our community. We also engage with local embassies to advocate for the needs of the community in a non‑partisan way, ensuring Southern Africans are represented and supported across diplomatic, civic, and cultural spaces.

At the federal level, we were selected as a healthy people 2030 partner for by the HHS where we engage in public outreach about community health. Prior to the existence of multiple route options to Southern Africa, limited flight availability created real challenges for families, students, and businesses across the diaspora. In response, SACU joined other organizations and local governments in 2022 to urge then–Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to expand flight frequency to South Africa. We penned a formal letter of support, which was submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation, backing United Airlines’ request for increased service between the United States and South Africa. This collective effort helped ease the travel burden for Southern Africans and strengthened the cultural, family, and economic ties that keep our community connected to the region.

While not always visible to the public, much of our advocacy takes place behind the scenes through ongoing conversations, advisory roles, and quiet but consistent engagement with civic, diplomatic, and community partners. Through these types of collaboration, civic engagement, and strategic advocacy, SACU keeps speaks up for our community.