Service-learning has, arguably, gained significant currency as a pedagogical and engagement mechanism within the broader discourse of universities and their role in community development. However, less emphasis has been placed on the human development dimensions of service--learning for community members, with the focus largely being on students' experiential learning and other academic outcomes for the university. Though usually conceived as an integral part in university-community partnerships, community members' role in the conception and implementation of service-learning initiatives is from a peripheral position. In this paper, we interrogate this lacuna by applying core tenets of the human development approach to document the experiences and perceptions of community members within a university-community service learning partnerships. From the analysis of qualitative data n = 22, we demonstrate that while service-learning enhances agency, it continues to operate within a historical context and contemporary political economy of South Africa, which obscure community members' active participation and empowerment towards inclusive and sustainable valued outcomes.