Zakāh as a Tool for Tackling Socio-Economic Issues: A Case Study of Educational Empowerment through the Lived Realities of 30 Zakāh Beneficiaries in Cape Town

Abstract

This study investigates how zakāh, as an obligatory charitable levy in Islam, can be used to address socio-economic inequality through educational empowerment in Cape Town, South Africa. Drawing on a qualitative case study of 30 IPSA beneficiaries (15 students and 15 alumni), and framed by maqāṣidal-sharīʿah, it examines how zakāh-funded education contributes to the preservation of intellect, life, and dignity. The findings indicate that zakāh support extends beyond financial assistance by nurturing intellectual confidence, moral purpose, and social responsibility, yet structural barriers, including limited access to food, transport, digital resources, and psychosocial care, constrain its impact. The study argues that zakāh should be reimagined as a model for holistic student development and recommends that faith-based institutions integrate mentorship, material support, and psychosocial services into zakāh administration to enhance its role in promoting justice and socio-economic transformation.