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136 THE BUSINESS IN SOCIETY HANDBOOK 2017

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Shared Growth is about applying Absa’s knowledge, expertise and resources to address the needs of its clients and the communities in which it operates, through innovative products, services and meaningful partnerships. Investing in the socioeconomic fabric while creating value for its shareholders, has become a strategic business imperative, critical to realising long-term and mutual benefit.

The journey to Shared GrowthThe journey to a fully integrated Shared Growth approach throughout the business has been a steady, iterative process. The group’s corporate Citizenship strategy today is grounded in a number of successes, challenges, and lessons learnt over the last two decades.

Moving towards community investment: pre-2012During the 2000s, Absa’s approach to CSI shifted from charitable giving, towards more impactful community projects which broadly aimed to stimulate social and economic upliftment. These were not, however, closely linked with Absa’s core business. The themes for Absa’s CSI during this time were: • Banking on brighter futures: helping disadvantaged people

work towards financial security through financial literacy, entrepreneurship, job creation and skills development initiatives

• Looking after local communities: local support for orphaned and vulnerable children, people living with disabilities, health and welfare and local education, including training educators

• Employee volunteerism.

ABSA

The evolution of Absa’s corporate social responsibility

While meaningful in their own right, programmes such as these became increasingly unsustainable as they were disconnected from Absa’s core expertise thus leading to an over reliance on implementation by external partners.

Introducing Citizenship: 2012 to 2015Citizenship, for Absa, means being a trusted and sustainable business that is a force for social good. It means taking into account both the short- and long-term interests of all stakeholders at each decision touch point within the business. During 2012, Absa introduced its new Citizenship plan as the cornerstone of an evolved business strategy; one that would better align with the Group’s ability (and expertise) to facilitate greater and more inclusive prosperity for current and future generations.The Citizenship plan had three key aspects: • The way Absa did business, living its stated corporate values

of respect, integrity, service, excellence and stewardship• Contributing to growth. This reflected the group’s focus on

delivering products and services that contributed to the sustainable prosperity of society

• Supporting communities by investing in young people.

Guided by this agenda, together with government’s national imperatives, Absa began to partner with NPOs, to promote financial and life skills, and the development of emerging small enterprises. During this period of consolidating its CSR activities, the group began to use its financial services expertise in order to respond to the needs of a younger generation.

Creating Shared Growth: 2016 onwardsBuilding on the foundation of the successful Citizenship plan, in 2016, Absa embarked on a new phase of its Citizenship journey to further align to the Group’s business strategy, geographical footprint and competitive strengths. Understanding that its business success depends on the individuals and communities that need and want its products and services, Absa aims to create value to a range of stakeholders. Absa’s Shared Growth approach is premised on addressing relevant social problems with business solutions. It is no longer a separate CSR strategy, or department, that lies outside the core business; rather, it is a business-led imperative that cuts across all aspects of the bank’s operations. The philosophy informs the Group’s business strategy and each business unit actively participates and contributes to implementation and delivery.

Over the last 20 years, what started out as charitable grantmaking, and developed into corporate social investments (CSI), has since deepened into an entrenched business philosophy of Shared Growth at Absa. The company recognises the tremendous opportunity to create measurable business value, by addressing social problems in Africa that intersect with its core business – essentially driving profit with a purpose.


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Sazini MojapeloHead of Citizenship

[email protected] www.barclaysafrica.com/barclaysafrica/Citizenship

❛❛ Our business benefits when young people have access to the skills they need to pursue their ambitions, when small businesses develop and grow through better access to development finance and markets, and when people are provided with convenient and affordable access to financial services and products that meet their needs.

Sazini Mojapelo, Africa Head of Citizenship

Given this closer alignment between supporting its communities while delivering core business goals, Absa recognises its ability to contribute most significantly in the areas of education and skills development, enterprise development and financial inclusion. These three focus areas form the crux of its Shared Growth framework.

Success factors in creating shared valueRecognising the fundamental differences between traditional philanthropic and CSR approaches, and the philosophy of creating shared value, have been critical success factors in Absa’s citizenship journey. Also, key has been the Group’s recognition that delivering meaningful social impact requires corporate alignment with local context and national development priorities. What has remained constant in Absa’s journey is the way they do business, anchored in the tenant of stewardship: to leave society better than they found it. This includes, for example, managing its environmental impacts, supporting inclusive procurement, and enabling colleague engagement.Absa continues to adapt its strategies and evolve its purpose-driven business models to align with global best practice and the proactive management of the six-capitals. It remains steadfast in driving market-level change, thereby enabling customers and communities to achieve their own sustainable development goals. ■

SUPPORTING EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPSIn support of the South African Government’s National Development Plan (NDP), Absa is a key participant of the government’s ‘Adopt a TVET College’ programme to help with skills development and job creation. Through this programme, Absa supports the development of both individual student learners as well as academic institutions in the communities in which it operates.

• Absa has partnered with over 30 technical and vocational education and training colleges (TVET) which bank with Absa, to enable customised workplace exposure programmes across a breadth of faculties, a core curriculum requirement for their students.

• Absa has also developed and delivered, in partnership with the Department of Basic Education (DBE), a financial management and governance training programme for school governing body members and DBE circuit managers. To date the programme has been rolled out across six provinces, reaching over 12 000 SGB members in more than 5 000 schools.

These institutional partnerships, many of which are Absa clients, are driven by the banking teams and go beyond merely delivering traditional banking solutions.


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Amplats’ response has been to shift from a growth-driven to a more value-driven strategy that involves developing the entire value chain, beneficiating raw materials, and creating stability through sustainable development in its host communities. This has meant selling off assets that were capital-intensive in some cases, and purposefully diluting its market share of the South African platinum sector to allow for transformation and local empowerment to prosper. At the close of 2016, Amplats supported 28 250 jobs and had invested R331 million in community development. With operations concentrated across the platinum belt in the North West and Limpopo, Amplats currently mines about 37% of the global reserves at up to eight underground mines and one open pit mine across Thabazimbi, Mokopane and Polokwane, while retaining two smelters and a single refinery in Rustenburg. Since Amplats forms part of a mining conglomerate that has diverse interests in South Africa, it is worth noting that Anglo American’s collective mining operations that span diamonds, platinum, iron ore and thermal coal, have invested R3.2 billion in their host communities, over the last five years. Community spending is, however, the combined result of mandatory social labour plans required by the Mining Charter that typically consider broader infrastructure deficits undertaken in partnership with local government and voluntary corporate social investment that aims to be more responsive to local community needs.

Maintaining social licence Amplats is committed to maintaining its social licence to operate through inclusive stakeholder engagement, where social imperatives are agreed in collaboration with host communities while balancing the needs of local stakeholders such as government to create long-term value. In light of the increasingly challenging economic climate that has seen an escalation in civil protests, the company has taken a position to be more transparent with community stakeholders. “Our communities are often not aware of how vulnerable our business is to market shocks and we have to manage their expectations,” explains Sanah Marema Machaba, social performance manager.In 2016, Amplats undertook a participatory survey to establish how its employees and stakeholders perceived the company’s social performance. Using mobile technology, more than 1 800 respondents offered vital feedback that has allowed the company to shape its community response and more proactively resolve grievances before they erupt into violent protests.

ANGLO AMERICAN PLATINUM

Restructuring for resilience and responsiveness to community needs

Amplats’ main pillars of social investment remain focused on education and training, health and welfare, water and sanitation, institutional capacity development to manage local trusts, and community development. Agriculture and environmental education is a new area of investment, with R18 million invested in various farming cooperatives in the Rustenburg area.During 2016, Amplats completed construction on the Seraleng Clinic in Rustenburg and concluded a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Health to build an additional three clinics for the communities of Limpopo. In education, 70 engineering and 42 hospitality and tourism training learnerships were provided, and 12 schools in two provinces were upgraded to the value of R47 million, creating hundreds of local job opportunities in construction.Enterprise development has also increasingly become integrated in community investment. To achieve sustainable economic growth and social progress within its mine communities, Amplats has invested significantly in diversifying local skills, providing training opportunities and building the capacity of local enterprises to be able to access procurement opportunities within the company in association with Zimele, Anglo American’s catalyst fund for start-ups.

As the Anglo American Group marks a century of operating in South Africa, the last five years have arguably been the most challenging for the platinum mining sector, therefore affecting its platinum business unit, Anglo American Platinum. Marked by the longest labour strike in history at the start of 2014 and a 25% reduction in commodity prices, due to unrealised growth in the automotive industry, Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has had to act swiftly to reassure stakeholders and restructure the business for future resilience.


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R35 million to electrify one village could now be undertaken at a cost of R5 million. The project was not only an opportunity to link these remote communities to the green economy, but to also create jobs for unemployed youth who have since been trained on maintenance to ensure that the programme remains sustainable. The electrification programme that started in June 2016 has since reached eight communities where Amplats operates. As a result of the deep consultation undertaken with the communities on the technology and rollout, communities have safeguarded the solar panels in every village, confirming that the engagement was effective and that the residents have taken real ownership of this vital infrastructure. While data is still to be collected on whether incidents of crime have decreased, the overwhelming feedback from communities is that they feel safe and that their quality of life has improved.

Sanah MachabaSocial Performance Manager

[email protected]

Investing in responsible citizenship Amplats has invested in infrastructure, teacher training, curriculum support, maths and science, as well as school feeding schemes, and remains committed to investing in education and skills development as the main driver for overturning systemic poverty. It also consistently looks at ways of building responsible citizenship.Local non-profit organisation Lighting Tomorrow is a breakthrough educational programme that applies sound behavioural science methodology, in conjunction with highly experiential and participatory methods, to help youth develop self-awareness and become ambassadors for ubuntu in their schools, communities and home environments. In partnership with Lighting Tomorrow, Amplats invests in an after-school programme that aims to strengthen leadership competencies and equips learners, teachers and parents with social skills that will lead to more respectful relationships within the community. The programme currently accommodates 540 learners from 10 schools, from grade R to high school. The programme has also created employment opportunities for youth as tutors.

Solar energy contributes to community safety In an effort to combat high rates of crime which ravaged communities at night, Amplats worked in close collaboration with stakeholders such as the local community policing forums, to prioritise communal lighting and village electrification. Rustenburg communities where Amplats previously operated were the first to benefit from high-mast lighting. After numerous efforts to connect the lights to the energy grid, the company began looking at alternative energy sources.Solar high-mast lights were found to be three times more affordable than standard electrical fittings. The previous cost of


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The recently launched Barloworld Social Youth Innovation Awards (BSIYA) recognise and support youth-led entrepreneurial innovations that are creating social value and have the potential for longevity and scalability. This year, the BSIYA was run in partnership with Enactus South Africa, an international non-profit organisation (NPO) which connects student, academic and business leaders through entrepreneurial projects that empower people to transform challenges into opportunities for sustainable progress, for themselves and their communities.

In addition to its focus on education and the environment, Noluvo Ngcwabe, head of Barloworld CSI, explains that the company’s investment in social innovation aims to help address South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis. The BSIYA celebrate youth who, despite being formally unemployed, find creative ways of contributing to the development of their communities. Through its long-term commitment to CSI, Barloworld aims to cultivate this same ethos: finding opportunities in challenges.

This project intends to create a platform that will amplify the voices and visions of youth in communities across South Africa. Barloworld believes that unemployed youth who are directly affected by various challenges are uniquely positioned to respond creatively, with community-based solutions.

❛❛ Often, these solutions need seed funding and other support. However, as they are neither a social NPO nor a business in the traditional sense they often struggle. This is where we see the opportunity to support social innovation and entrepreneurship.Noluvo Ngcwabe – head of Barloworld CSI

Award winners receive wrap-around supportThree inaugural winners of the Barloworld Social Youth Innovation Awards were announced in July 2017. A team from

BARLOWORLD

Noluvo Ngcwabe Head of Barloworld CSI

[email protected]

Celebrating youth-led social innovation and supporting entrepreneurship

the University of Venda received first prize for the community-based Mukondeni Ceramic Water Filters and Pottery Project, which addresses clean water shortages and aims to alleviate the high rate of unemployment in Limpopo.

The goal is to recognise exciting initiatives, encourage entrepreneurial action, and support the development of long-term capacity. Ngcwabe explains that, through this wrap-around support, Barloworld aims to empower youth with entrepreneurial spirits to take charge within their communities, thereby helping to realise the long-term impact that Barloworld prioritises in its CSI vision.

❛❛ The Barloworld Social Youth Innovation Award will enable our team to continue working on, and to improve, our entrepreneurial project. Our goals include product diversification and increasing the numbers of youth involved.Wesley Macebele – president of the winning team, University of Venda

Growing the project and sustaining its impact Barloworld prioritises meaningful partnerships that ensure effective project implementation and impact. It is envisioned that, as the Barloworld Social Innovation Youth Awards grow, so too will the project’s partnerships with both NPOs and government.

“Coherent with the Barloworld diversity and inclusion strategy, we will also ensure that participating groups include women and girls, as well as those with disabilities,” emphasises Ngcwabe.

As the project evolves, change-agents identified through the process will also be connected to the company’s supplier and enterprise development arm: Barloworld Siyakhula. This continuation of support is aligned with the company’s commitment to creating shared value and contributing to sustainable development. ■

e Barloworld Social Youth Innovation Awards 2017, winning team from the University of Venda for their Mudondeni Ceramic project.

Barloworld investsin social change

R141.5m Spend on employee

training across all levels in 2015

R202minvested in projects with

a social dividend since 2002

Over 600 suppliers engaged to transform our supply chain

R187m spent in support of SME’s since 2007

30 companies assisted supporting almost 620 jobs

R120m invested in artisan training centre, serving 400 to 500 trainees per year

210 internships granted in 2015

Investment in healthcare through projects such as the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, providing access to equipment for site development, standby generator and use of vehicles for fundraising support

At Barloworld, we do things differently.Our social committment is through initiatives in education and skills development. We strive for a world that is inspired to make a positive change.

@BarloworldLtd Barloworld Limited barloworldlimited

*These figures apply to 2015


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The South African economy escaped from the clutches of a three-month technical recession when its gross domestic product rebounded with 2.5% growth in the second quarter of 2017. This improvement followed consecutive economic contractions in the previous two quarters. While this was news worth celebrating at the time, the economy is still not in the clear and there is continued concern about the GDP growth not being strong enough to sustain the momentum. Small victories such as these are overshadowed by the stark realities of poverty and unemployment, which many citizens live with on a daily basis. In August 2017, Statistics SA revealed that more than 50% of South Africans live in poverty. Even more worrying is that poverty contributes to the heightening of other social ills, like drug abuse, crime and domestic violence.For real improvement, the South African economy requires a collective approach in which individuals, government and business creatively contribute to boosting economic activity. The sum of many small actions from different sections of society will make a noticeable difference.When Eskom started getting involved in community development back in 1989, it began with a project that provided talented black students who excelled in mathematics and science with bursaries to study engineering. This focus grew to include early childhood development and school food gardens, culminating in a competition called Eduplant, which was run in partnership with non-profit organisation, Food & Trees for Africa. The competition aimed to promote permaculture gardens and the role of food security in schools across the country.Eskom continued its involvement in similar projects and got involved in new social developmental initiatives until 1998, when the organisation officially registered and established the Eskom Development Foundation. This non-profit, wholly Eskom-owned subsidiary was mandated with implementing the organisation’s corporate social investment (CSI) strategy in sectors including enterprise development, education, healthcare and social and community development.

Contractor AcademyThrough the Contractor Academy, the Eskom Development Foundation aims to equip small business owners with the necessary skills required to build sustainable businesses. The academy combines both theoretical and practical work, and students attend a residential study school for a week every month. By using the eight-month course to empower small businesses, Eskom is contributing towards addressing the country’s socioeconomic challenges.

ESKOM DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

Eskom Development Foundation sowing the seeds of hope

Simama RantaAnother flagship initiative by the Foundation is the Simama Ranta School Entrepreneurship Education competition, which is run in collaboration with Education with Enterprise Trust (EWET). The competition was established to stimulate entrepreneurship education in high schools across the country. It identifies and celebrates schools that are doing excellent work in teaching their learners how to become entrepreneurs using practical enterprise clubs within their schools.The Foundation believes that one of the best ways to fight underdevelopment in our communities is to teach and encourage the youth, at school level, to consider entrepreneurship as a viable career choice. To qualify for the competition, schools must run an enterprise club that teaches learners the basics of business through practical application, while responding to their respective communities’ socioeconomic needs.The competition rewards the top school from each province with a R50 000 cash prize, runners-up receive R25 000, while second runners-up get R10 000. The 2017 overall winner of the competition, which took home a R100 000 prize, was Harrismith Senior Secondary School from the Free State.

Eskom has always been committed to doing more than just keeping the lights on in South Africa. Since its establishment in 1998, the Eskom Development Foundation has been running various programmes and forming strategic partnerships with the sole purpose of helping to enhance the quality of life for as many South Africans as possible.

GUGULETHU MAKHANYAOne small business owner who has benefited from the academy is Gugulethu Makhanya, who graduated earlier this year and considers enrolling for the academy as one of her best decisions ever. Despite registering her company, Yeyeye Mnguni Trading & Projects, in 2012, it was not operational until Makhanya started attending classes at the academy. Due to the course’s study content and the skills she attained, she was inspired to start seeking opportunities for her company.

Three months after completing the course, Makhanya tendered for a supply chain management contract with the Department of Basic Education and was successful. The three-year contract, worth R1.8 million, is for her eThekwini-based company to run a feeding scheme for schools in and around the city.

❛❛ The academy gave me invaluable skills and was just the tonic my business needed. These include financial, people and project management skills, and perhaps most tellingly for me, how to put together a proper tender document. I will forever cherish the impact the Academy has had on me.”


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community. The club’s members remain optimistic despite facing many challenges, and they believe their projects will not only yield good profits for the club, but also great benefits for the community at large. They plan to reinvest their prize money and channel it towards growing their projects.

Business Investment CompetitionThe annual Eskom Business Investment Competition (BIC), which was launched in 2008 by the Foundation, is aimed at recognising, rewarding and inspiring small and medium enterprises (SME) that are significantly contributing to the fight against unemployment and poverty. These are businesses that are spearheading the country’s economic development, by creating job opportunities in their local economies.

The competition is open to South African, black-owned and registered enterprises that have been operating for more than 24 months in the manufacturing, engineering and construction, trade and services, as well as agriculture and agri-processing sectors. Over the years, the competition has helped small enterprises move to the next level with not only the financial rewards, but also the business skills, training and networking opportunities provided as part of their prizes. Each sector winner takes home a cash prize of R100 000, runners-up get R50 000, and second runners-up get R25 000. The overall winner of the competition walks away with R150 000, which they can reinvest into their business.

One of the star performers in the 2017 competition was Cape Town-based firm, Eden All Natural. The company was named as the winner in the agriculture and agri-processing category of the BIC. The black woman-owned and run company manufactures natural peanut butter with 100% peanuts, no additives, preservatives or sugar. The peanut butter is produced using grade-A peanuts, which are slowly roasted in a conventional oven to retain important nutrients. After failing to

The school’s learners started a plastic recycling initiative in March 2017, through which they transform plastic waste into decorative and other usable items.

The school’s Youth Enterprise Society (YES) club, which has 60 members, recycles plastic bottles (mostly two-litre soft drink bottles), and uses them to manufacture functional items such as bird houses, flower vases, cellphone charger holders, pencil cases and holders, as well as bracelets.

“When we had to come up with an idea for a business, it was easy to see how we could create a variety of goods from used plastic bottles as these are readily available at dumping sites near our school and we could also get them from ours and other homes in the community. Our club was started as a means to train ourselves to become entrepreneurs and gain first-hand experience in operating a business. We also chose to make the products we make because we wanted to contribute positively to our area by reducing littering and cleaning it up through the collection of the plastic bottle,” explains Katleho Dahile (16), club president and grade 10 learner.

Dahile says the club hopes to expand its project by creating a bottle renewal initiative that will further reduce littering and pollution. “We are following the triple bottom line principle that states ‘in the pursuit of profit, an entrepreneur must not harm the planet and the people’. Our project fully follows this principle.”

Over and above the plastic bottle recycling business, the club also hosts cinema days every week to give many of their economically disadvantaged learners an opportunity to enjoy movies at R5 per head. They have a tuck shop at the school premises, where they sell refreshments and their manufactured products. The ambitious youngsters, who are proving to be serial entrepreneurs already, also run a carwash at school, where they wash their teachers’ cars for a fee. They are looking at expanding the car wash business to serve the rest of their


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contribute to the development of small and medium enterprises with a view to enhancing the country’s future economic growth and employment opportunities. The expo provides a versatile marketing platform which brings representatives from various markets under one roof and thus provides an ideal opportunity for exhibitors to launch new products, generate media coverage, build brand awareness, generate leads and interact with customers and potential investors. One of the main objectives of the SBE was to provide an opportunity for SMEs from previously disadvantaged backgrounds to showcase their goods and services with a view to forming linkages with big business.

Continued commitment to lighting up South African livesWhile Eskom is committed to keeping the lights on in homes and businesses to drive the country’s economy, it has dedicated some of its attention to lighting up the lives of people across South Africa and has been doing exactly that through the Eskom Development Foundation. Eskom’s key measure of its success lies in the value that it brings or adds to the lives of South Africans as it ensures that every rand spent on CSI is put to good use.The Foundation is run and guided by sustainability as its core principle and all its programmes highlight its commitment to touching and brightening the lives of the people in the communities where it operates. ■

find a natural peanut butter on the market, managing director Debbie Matake and her husband Brighton Matake decided to create their own in 2013. Their tasty peanut butter is available in a number of flavours, including cinnamon and raisin, crunchy, smooth, choc chip and seeded/nutty and honey.The couple started marketing and selling their product among friends and family. Following that, the demand for their delicious product instantly grew, which led them to look for more opportunities at trade fairs and malls. As fate would have it, one day while displaying the product at a mall in Cape Town, two gentlemen approached them and tasted the peanut butter. The men loved it and turned out to be regional buyers for Pick n Pay retailer. “We experienced similar struggles that many small businesses do, including lack of resources. But as soon as we found a production plant, we approached the municipality for compliance and got a licence. We’ve never looked back and have been seeing great results. In April 2016, we started supplying our product to Pick n Pay here in Cape Town. We also supply to Spar and Wellness Warehouse and are looking at securing other big retailers,” says Matake.Eden All Natural wants to expand beyond the Cape Town market and will be using the R100 000 prize money from the BIC to set up a manufacturing plant in Johannesburg as a start.

Small Business ExpoIn 2002, the Eskom Development Foundation partnered with Reed Exhibitions to present the annual Small Business Expo (SBE). The SBE has grown to become one of the biggest events on the Foundation’s calendar.SBE is considered a fitting conclusion to the Foundation’s enterprise development initiatives in a calendar year, where finalists from the BIC and Simama Ranta competition are given an opportunity to exhibit their enterprises and projects. The annual three-day expo is held at the TicketPro Dome in Johannesburg, and the 2017 expo was held from 31 August to 2 September.The expo gives entrepreneurs a unique platform to showcase their small businesses and network with other like-minded people. It also aims to stimulate entrepreneurship and

Development Foundation

www.eskom.co.za


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The Hollard Trust’s flagship Early Childhood Development (ECD) Programme, Kago Ya Bana or KYB, now an ECD Solution, has been honed over ten years of learnings

KYB is an ECD solution, working with municipalitiesECD is recognised globally as the most critical building block to a successful path through school and life. Yet, in South Africa, only 20% of children have access to ECD services. The right policies and government funding are in place: how do we unlock funding and unblock the system?

KYB stands for Kago Ya Bana, a Sotho phrase meaning "building together for children". Established by the Hollard Trust in 2007, KYB has now been going for ten years. Its four objectives are to:

• Increase children’s access to ECD • Improve the quality of ECD• Enable ECD sites to comply with municipal standards • Unlock multiple streams of government funding.

KYB works with municipalities to catalyse and enable the delivery of quality ECD to an expanded number of children so that they can start school healthy and ready, and be more likely to thrive, not only in school, but throughout their lives.

The KYB ECD Solution has three components KYB Municipal Change Management – catalyses and drives a system-wide process with municipalities to improve and build their capacity and processes effectively to enable and manage ECD planning, including unlocking sustainable government funding, enabling compliance that leads to ECD access and improved quality ECD. The change management journey takes stakeholders with a shared sense of urgent need for change and scale to establishing the facts and agreeing on a plan, to

THE HOLLARD TRUST

Ms Nobayeni DladlaKago Ya Bana , The Villa, Hollard Campus,

22 Oxford Road, Parktown011 351 1202

[email protected]

THE HOLLARD TRUST and Kago Ya Bana

agreeing who is accountable and how to measure success, culminating in an accountable governance structure that drives universal access to ECD. KYB ECD Enterprise Incubator – is a three-pronged package: 1 Private infrastructure investment to make the ECD

space safe for children, eg money to install toilets, fire extinguishers, windows, etc. This helps the micro-enterprise to be municipality-compliant and eligible for long-term government funding via subsidies.

2 Seed funding to kick-start new ECD enterprises, eg money for early-learning play kits.

3 Capacitation of ECD businesses, eg funding to train the ECD business owners in delivering quality early learning. The ECD delivery gap presents an Enterprise Development (ED) opportunity for women-owned micro-enterprises and for corporates wanting to earn ED points. And government is brought closer to its universal, quality ECD access goals.

The KYB HUB and Spoke Model – works where the children are in the communities, providing access to quality, affordable early learning opportunities in non-centre-based ECD sites, such as day mothers.

KYB is a catalyst“Go where the children are” was a founding principle and it still obtains. Then see how to give the children access to quality ECD, working with all stakeholders to map the best route. KYB is a "processor", organising things and implementing processes. KYB is a "catalyst" of systemic change. The Lesedi Municipality experience is illustrative: a once-off infrastructure investment of R340 000 supported 21 ECD micro-enterprises, teaching 750 children, potentially unlocking R3 million in government funding for those enterprises per annum.Once the KYB ECD Solution is successfully implemented, KYB exits, as it did in Midvaal, its first municipality partner. ■


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Two key projects which exemplify MMI’s financial wellness goals are the Making Money Matter board game, designed and implemented by Momentum, and Metropolitan’s Early Childhood Development Financial Literacy Project.

Making Money MatterMMI recognises that the future of the country, as well as its business, lies in the hands of the youth. The group’s recently revised CSI strategy aims to support youth in their quest to become employable, financially well and active citizens. By seeding financial education within schools, MMI is able to assist in instilling healthy financial habits and building positive attitudes towards money from a young age.

In 2015, Momentum rolled out its Making Money Matter financial literacy board game to grade 9 learners in seven classrooms in Gauteng. The game is a fun and practical simulation of real-life financial decision-making, such as budgeting, managing risk, insurance, saving and investing.

An independent project evaluation showed that, on average, participating students’ knowledge improved by 22%, and that they applied key concepts such as budgeting and saving in their everyday lives.

Helping to create sustainable Early Childhood Development Centres Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres play a fundamental role in the emotional and cognitive development of young South Africans. Although the Department of Social Development subsidises registered ECD centres, this funding is usually insufficient to meet all costs. Particularly in impoverished and rural communities, ECD centre managers and principals often lack the knowledge and skills to manage the centres effectively and with a focus on sustainability. This often leads to principals or ECD centre managers subsidising centres out of their own pockets, or turning to unregistered credit providers or loan sharks.

In 2014, Metropolitan partnered with Unity in Africa (UINA), a non-profit organisation and their ECD implementing partner, Early Inspiration, to address this national challenge. Early Inspiration is one of South Africa’s leading ECD training and development organisations. The vision of the intervention was to provide financial literacy training to 600 ECD staff in communities in rural Eastern and Northern Cape.

The financial education workshops, which are run by Early Inspiration, cover topics including understanding personal finance, financial planning, processes and management, as well as personal and professional budgeting. In 2016, UINA and Early Inspiration hosted workshops with more than 600 ECD practitioners in the rural Eastern Cape alone.

MMI FOUNDATION

Financial wellness starts with financial literacy

❛❛ There are massive ripple effects from creating a secure, sustainable ECD centre in a community. And this is the first CSI project within the MMI group that integrated ECD with consumer financial education.Over three years, the project has grown from training people to become registered ECD practitioners, to training these practitioners comprehensively in the financial management of their centres. Now, extending our programme to parents and youth in the communities surrounding these ECD centres, we are slowly beginning to influence the whole financial eco-systems of these specific communitiesCharlene Lackay, MMI Group CSI Manager

For many ECD practitioners, these sessions are their first exposure to financial management education. Following the course, one of the many good-news stories showed a participant who had implemented a simple school fee collection system and, as a result, transformed her ECD centre’s financial situation.

Based on its success with ECD staff, Metropolitan and Early Inspiration have now opened the workshops to parents, enabling them to understand the issues affecting the centres, while teaching them to think more broadly about expanding their own financial horizons.

c The board game requires players to generate monthly budgets, re-prioritise their spending, answer financial planning-related questions, and make financial decisions. The game can be played by individuals or in groups.

MMI aims to enhance the lifetime financial wellness of South Africans and believes that the starting point for this is financial literacy. To this end, the group focuses part of its corporate social investment on promoting knowledge and skills that enable individuals to make informed financial decisions, thereby empowering them to effectively plan their futures.


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Looking aheadMetropolitan will continue to work with Early Inspiration on the ECD Financial Literacy Project. There are also plans to grow this project by introducing mentorship to help participants implement their acquired skills, as well as to extend this consumer education into local schools.

Making Money Matter has proven successful, but is now ready for innovation and enrichment, specifically in terms of taking the learning experience beyond the classroom.

MMI recognises that it cannot begin to drive financial wellness if there is a lack of financial capability. The smallest positive changes in financial behaviour reflect in people’s overall financial wellness. By encouraging these small changes, and facilitating the ‘lightbulb’ moments in consumer financial education, MMI can contribute towards interrupting the cycle of poverty. ■

KEY LESSONS LEARNT FROM FOSTERING FINANCIAL WELLNESS Effective partnershipsMMI ensures that it works with experienced implementing partners, relying on their experiential guidance for more effective programming, based on the precise support and training that resonates most with participants. Partnerships can, and should, include other funders. MMI believes that it makes sense to become part of a bigger system of change, and to work where its financial literacy interventions form part of broader social development.

Relevance and simplicityWhen designing Making Money Matter, it was assumed that benchmarking the standard of the game against what was expected of learners in the national school curriculum would be suitable. However, it became apparent that the language and tone of the game were too complex, and needed to be simplified beyond the curriculum standards. This lesson underscores the importance of ensuring that the design of the game – much like the implementation of all development initiatives – speaks to the actual and not the perceived or deducted needs of the target audience.

Buy-in and receptivenessRecommendations and support from relevant government departments is necessary, but not sufficient, to launch a project. It is also imperative that the beneficiary community buys into and supports the implementation of a project. For example, Making Money Matter began as an extra-curricular activity, limiting accessibility for students who had to travel further distances to get home after school. In 2016, the project was incorporated into the Life Orientation and Economic Management Science curricula, forming part of the normal school day, thereby making the project accessible to more learners.

Charlene LackayGroup CSI Manager

www.mmifoundation.org.za

c The financial education workshops, which are run by Early Inspiration, cover topics such as understanding personal finance and financial planning.

The MMI Foundation is the social investment arm of MMI Holdings. Its purpose is to improve the social and financial wellness of individuals, communities and their businesses. Over the years the Foundation supported initiatives in sport development, education, disability and health. Although addressing the challenges of young people have always been part of the work of the MMI Foundation, it will focus more deliberately on a youth employment strategy.

EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES THROUGH INTEGRATED LITERACY INTERVENTIONS

Parents: 25 parent workshops held, reaching 410 parents of young children.

Future Earners: Making Money Matter improved the financial knowledge of 1 200 grade 9 learners over six weeks by 22%.

ECD Centres: 23 financial literacy workshops held during 2016 and 2017, impacting 483 ECD centres and 607 beneficiaries.

FutureEarners

ECD Centres

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Consolidating strategic CSI interventions across Africa In line with global corporate trends of reducing the number of CSI focus areas supported, the new policy identifies strategic areas of social responsibility that will be supported across all African operations, in order to maximise investment and increase synergy. Embedded in this, is the fundamental notion of shared value and strategic CSI which will permeate all areas of operations, ensuring that Old Mutual has a coherent message, brand promise and social impact throughout the continent.

As a financial services group, the company can offer meaningful shared value through financial inclusion. Typically, financial inclusion spans an array of core business activities such as innovative product design, relevant pricing models and access to financial services. CSI activities can further support and complement this important work through financial education and financial literacy initiatives. Likewise, financial inclusion is also supported through activities such as enterprise development that can bring marginalised people in under-served communities into the formal financial sector.

The long-term success of a company is closely connected to being part of, and trusted by, flourishing and sustainable local communities. This holds particularly true in Africa, where Old Mutual is one of the largest financial services providers, and where access to financial services in these emerging markets is critical.

For Old Mutual, as with many leading companies, responsible business is about creating shared value: integrating social development into its economic value creation. The company will include a new and integrated pan-African vision for the Group’s social responsibility activities and policies across the continent, in order to ensure that its overall social investment – at a Group-wide level – conveys a more unified brand message and contributes most effectively to enhancing the company’s shared value. This new policy will be launched in 2018.

A responsible continental corporate citizenOld Mutual currently operates in 13 African countries, including South Africa; with each region having very different demographics, economies, populations, employment and literacy rates. Most of these countries are relatively stable democracies with national development and financial inclusion plans either in place or in the process of being developed. Ranking mechanisms such as levels of corruption, ease of doing business and sovereign debt rating vary significantly across these countries.

South Africa is the most dominant region within the Old Mutual African operations. It is also the only country that regulates corporate social investment (CSI) on a national scale, through the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Codes and the Financial Sector Charter. There has been an increasing maturation in the CSI industry within South Africa over the past few years with social investment programmes seeking to become more strategic in nature. However, surveys conducted within the other areas of Old Mutual’s African operations indicate the CSI programmes and interventions that do exist are still fairly needs-based and philanthropic in nature. As a result, there is a disparate landscape of varying social investment activities across the regions in which Old Mutual operates.

Old Mutual’s new social responsibility policy ensures that the company’s CSI engagement is implemented holistically and coherently in each of the countries in which it operates, aligned closely to its responsible business mandate, yet still allowing sufficient flexibility to respond to the individual needs and nuances of local contexts. The policy will also guide each country’s CSI operations on a progression path towards more strategic initiatives based on shared value principles.

OLD MUTUAL

A new era for pan-African social responsibilityOld Mutual is committed to being a leader in responsible business. Currently in the midst of managed separation plans, it is an exciting and opportune time for the company to rethink and consolidate its commitment to communities, as the business integrates its social responsibility strategy across its African operations.

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Moving forward, each region will implement the strategic CSI initiatives, further supported by a centre of excellence tasked with implementing the new Group-wide policy and sharing best practices between the regions.

However, as opposed to taking a top-down approach, this new social responsibility policy has been carefully designed to act as a guiding framework. While the strategic CSI initiatives will be implemented at a Group-wide level and monitored centrally, individual regions will retain sufficient flexibility to accommodate their specific government agendas and respond to local needs.

Building capacity and earning buy-inAn additional consideration for the implementation of the new policy is that each country has varied capacity to execute social investment programmes. While some operations have well-established foundations and social engagement practices, for others CSI programmes are fairly new and conducted with joint functionality within the marketing function. An important part of implementing the policy, therefore, is building capacity within the Group’s different regions.

It has also been critical for the company to secure buy-in and excitement about this significant shift in thinking and approach to CSI. To this end, Old Mutual has engaged with the various units and staff directly involved in CSI across all areas of African operations, to position the Group’s objectives and ultimate vision regarding social responsibility. Staff input has been vital for refining the strategy and ensuring locally nuanced implementation.

Old Mutual recognises its ability, as well as its responsibility, to drive financial inclusion across the continent. The company is uncompromising in its aim to earn respect and trust from its customers and the communities in which it operates. Social responsibility is no longer a separate function of the business, but rather a key part of the Group strategy and value proposition.

The journey to an integrated social responsibility policy across 13 different countries does not come without challenges. The transition will be an incremental process, which may require that some projects are exited in a sustainable manner while others are more closely aligned to the strategic themes and central approach. It is also important that all necessary monitoring and evaluation frameworks are put in place. However, as with the broader Group-managed separation plans, Old Mutual is looking forward to the efficiencies that this new era will bring, and to achieving greater impact through its community development programmes. ■

Millicent MarogaHead of Old Mutual Foundation

011 217 1364 [email protected]

www.oldmutual.co.za/foundation

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schools – are selected to participate in the Academy programme. The Academy boasts a state-of-the-art electronics engineering lab that is used for all practical work, as well as a technology-rich space where physical science and maths students in grades 10 to 12 can undertake their theoretical lessons and discussions. The programme is offered as lessons twice a week, over two years, which are structured to fit in with the academic partner’s timetables.

At the newer academies, the focus is on tertiary level students and the selection process is broader. There is a minimum entry requirement of NQF level 4 in electronics, although the partner institutions remain responsible for student recruitment and selection.

Students receive full bursaries from the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Sector Education Training Authority (merSETA), which includes their academic fees and a monthly stipend of R3 500. The programme is offered as a two-year course, with six months of theoretical learning, followed by 18 months of work experience.

The curriculum for all academies focuses on skills in electronics, refrigeration and air-conditioning. The programme comprises of basic, intermediate and advanced engineering skills aligned to the students’ school curriculums. The coursework is developed in consultation with the electrical technology facilitator in the district so that the Academy introduces students to industry appropriate skills, tools and equipment.

The programme also includes training in business and financial management.

Prioritising partnerships and accreditationSamsung has extended its partnerships to include Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, training authorities, local and national government. The more recent academies are managed by the relevant TVET colleges in

Empowering and employing youthThe Academy programme is focused on empowering young people with opportunities for a better future through vocational training and employment. It also aims to tackle the skills shortage and unemployment crisis in the country. Through this initiative Samsung is contributing towards meeting the National Development Plan’s target of training 30 000 artisans per year in South Africa by 2030.The programme is also closely aligned with the business’ vision, as it aims to create a skilled workforce of expert technicians, from which Samsung can draw, and who will be able to provide quality service to Samsung customers. Students are trained to repair Samsung products, which qualify them to work at Samsung service centres. Those not employed directly by Samsung, or within its value chain, are equipped with the skills needed to open their own small businesses. The Academy forms part of the company’s global Hope for Children initiative, which brings attention to the worldwide need for childhood education and healthcare.

❛❛ The Academy has had a great, positive impact on the lives of students. It has opened up a new career path, which many people do not have exposure to. The Samsung Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Academy has provided training in a rare skill, that has enabled the students to acquire knowledge and skills in an area with excellent job opportunities as well as good business potential. Scores of excited learners have also come to the Academy to enquire about the programme.

Gardner Dewu – Samsung Academy, KwaThema Campus

Improving student support The original Boksburg Academy is focused on both high school and tertiary level students. The top performing students from each of Samsung’s 12 partner academic institutions – four technical tertiary institutions and eight technical secondary

SAMSUNG

Training the artisans of the futureAddressing the shortage of critical technical and engineering skills in Africa, Samsung Electronics launched an academy in 2011 that has seen over 1 000 graduates equipped with practical skills and vocational experience, making them employable engineers and electronical technicians.

SAMSUNG ENGINEERING ACADEMYThe first Samsung Electronic Engineering Academy was started in March 2011 in Boksburg South Africa. Following South Africa’s flagship success, Samsung extended its academy to Kenya and Nigeria. The company then returned to South Africa and rolled out two more institutions in Hammanskraal and KwaThema, boasting more than 400 prospective graduates. Increasing their intake, Samsung rolled out the programme to the North West, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal in 2017.


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which they are situated. This allows the company to diversify its funds and efforts on providing other resources like Samsung appliances, tools and equipment, and the Samsung Smart School package (tablets, interactive whiteboard, printer and charging cabinet).

Accreditation ensures that students will graduate from the academies with a formal SETA qualification that is recognised by the electronics, refrigeration and air-conditioning industries.

Currently, the Boksburg Academy is accredited by the Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA), and the other five South African academies are in the process of obtaining MICTSETA and merSETA accreditation.

This enables the graduates to be fully employable as technicians. It also makes the Academy qualification more marketable to other employers.

Measurable successThe 2015 independent review confirmed the beneficial outcomes of the programme. The majority of students rated the programme as ‘highly beneficial’ to their employability, and the facilitators as knowledgeable.

All of the facilitators surveyed believed the programme to have a profound and positive difference to the students’ lives. Students said they appreciated the effort and time put in by their facilitators and the facilitators echoed the sentiments.

“The programme has had a highly positive impact on the employability of students, their abilities to start their own businesses, and on the pay levels and initial level of employment that they can expect; it’s rewarding to see them grow their knowledge and become real-world ready”.

The programme provides students with engineering acumen, practical electronic skills, and invaluable workplace experience. This gives graduates a considerable head-start in the workplace, making them very attractive recruits for Samsung, its partners and other employers.

Samsung also provides transportation to the students, ensuring everyone gets to school, despite whatever transportation issues that might arise.

Pitso P KekanaHead of Public Affairs for South & Southern Africa

[email protected]://www.samsung.com/za

SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMMEMore than 1 000 students graduated from the South African academies between 2011 and 2016. The Boksburg Academy achieved a 92% pass rate in 2016. More importantly, students are successfully being placed after graduation. Of the 135 Boksburg graduates in 2016, 78 (64%) have been employed by Samsung service partners, and most of the remainder are studying further.

❛❛ I studied at the Academy in Boksburg for two years and graduated with the class of 2016. Even though it was challenging at times, I really enjoyed the experience. I love technology and I now work in a cellphone repair shop. I don’t think that I would be able to do what I do without the skills that I learnt at the Academy. Young people need skills training, but most college curriculums don’t include much time for practical work. At the Academy, practical training is very important. It’s great that the academies are going national.

Sive Shabangu (23), Johannesburg


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Sasol has come a long way since it first shaped the industrial economies of Sasolburg and Secunda, nearly seven decades ago. Now a formidable integrated chemical and energy company that operates both upstream and downstream interests across the mining and processing value chain, Sasol has since taken its technology to 33 countries. Integral to the company’s success is the vast human capital of over 30 000 employees who are increasingly leveraging their expertise outside of the workplace for social good. Employee volunteerism (EV) forms part of Sasol’s corporate social investment (CSI) focus on education and skills development, small business enablement, environmental education and community development.

Commitment to meaningful and sustainable investment As Sasol continuously reflects on its role as a responsible corporate citizen and how it can meaningfully contribute to society, the company has undergone considerable restructuring to streamline its operational assets and align its business imperatives with society. The sustainability framework was redefined to be more congruent with global governance trends, while ensuring it remains responsive to local socioeconomic drivers in its fence line communities. Compliance, transparency and management of its environmental and social risks are key features of the sustainability framework, along with innovating for shared value across society and business.Sasol has consistently contributed above 1% of net profit after tax to social investment programmes, more than the amount recommended by international best practice and local statutory requirements but because of its new strategic direction that emphasises an integrated value chain incorporating a diverse set of stakeholders from government, business supply chains, employees and fence line communities, the impact is arguably far greater.

SASOL

Empowering employees to do goodThe Sasol For Good Employee Volunteer Programme was officially launched in 2016 as a formal engagement platform for Sasol’s diverse and talented workforce to leverage their expertise and coordinate individual and collective acts of giving that employees are making in their work and home communities.

CSI HIGHLIGHTS

At the close of the 2017 financial year, Sasol had spent R676 million on CSI; 88% in South Africa and 8% in Mozambique. Fifty percent of the spend was on education and skills development initiatives. In South Africa, this included hosting over 26 000 educators, members of the public and learners from across seven provinces at the annual Techno X science and technology exhibition and granting 390 new tertiary bursaries, bringing the number of sponsored students to 898. In Mozambique, together with the Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique and other partners, Sasol completed the curriculum development of a Downstream Master programme of 55 students enrolled into the programme.

Community development initiatives include investments in community infrastructure and enabling access to health-care and entrepreneurship training. Two mobile clinics and the eMbalenhle extension 14 clinic were handed over to the Free State Department of Health and the Metsimaholo Local Municipality respectively. In addition, a new 700m2 Sasolburg Clinic was commissioned. These facilities are benefiting over 200 000 people in the communities in which Sasol operates.

There is also a deliberate effort to inspire a culture and mind-set of entrepreneurship among the youth in particular through programmes such as the Sasol Siyazenzela youth in business entrepreneurship training programme, Sasol Vaal University of Technology (VUT) youth entrepreneurship training programme, Sasol I-AM-PRENEUR Programme and Sasol Northwest University Women Entrepreneurship Programme. During the 2017 financial year, a total of 166 youth benefited from these programmes. In addition, there is a focus on capacitating small enterprises to become part of the company’s value chain, so that community development investments yield genuine economic sustainability. At the Sasolburg Eco Industrial Park, the Sasol Business Incubator (SBI) is supporting 34 start-ups including those in the manufacturing sector. The SBI provides among other support interventions, business development training, access to specialised manufacturing equipment, access to business facilities, and product commercialisation support. Sasol’s in-house SMME Fund, the Sasol Siyakha Fund provided R88,7 million in loan funding to 12 of Sasol’s SMME suppliers in the industry sectors of equipment rental and plant hire, civil sourcing, input materials, warehousing and logistics, mechanical fabrication and facilities, pipeline maintenance and general engineering among others.

Environmental education projects continue to target water conservation through the ‘war on leaks’ campaign and waste management at schools.


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Outside of its mandatory obligations that often dictate the nature of social spending to comply with regulatory frameworks such as the Local Mining Charter, building credible relationships with stakeholders across Sasol’s operations in South Africa, Mozambique and the United States outside of its obligations has become a renewed priority.

Shared value is a relatively new and evolving concept that challenges business to integrate corporate social investment into its growth strategy, as well as to be accountable to broader social priorities, such as those defined in the Sustainable Development Goals. By adopting this guiding practice, Sasol has undertaken a long-term commitment to achieving sustainability, profit and social progress in its fence line communities.

Sasol for GoodAs sustainability strategies become more advanced, with businesses jostling to assert their brand identity and what defines their competitive advantage, Sasol has observed that there is still a strong business case for charity, empathy and outreach in its traditional form.

Through the development of its Employee Volunteering framework, Sasol for Good, Sasol learnt, while it was important to be recognised as a socially responsible and ethical global brand that speaks with one voice, it was equally important to understand and value the diversity of its people and what issues matter to them.

❛❛ We all come from somewhere and it has been a humbling journey to discover how committed our staff members are to giving back to their communities and what personally resonates with them.Carol Paton, Sasol Global Foundation’s Sasol for Good Programme Manager.

Incorporated into the Sasol for Good employee volunteer framework is a code of conduct, requiring employees to commit to act ethically and professionally in their public engagements while engaged in volunteering initiatives. Sasol’s core guiding volunteering principles require that volunteers consider health and safety, governance, social impact as well as inclusivity and diversity.

The Sasol for Good Programme promotes choice and flexibility, enabling employees to contribute in various ways through company-led and employee-led initiatives. Sasol has for many years led the volunteering drive through outreach activities mainly during Mandela Day. Sasol employees, for instance, have recently forged a relationship with Tumelo Home for the Disabled in Ivory Park. A team of 28 staff members helped the home develop an aquaponics system for both food security and sustainable income generation and continues to support the centre through a team of Sasol for Good volunteers.

Employee volunteering includes self-initiated activities that can be coordinated individually or in groups, supporting pre-approved projects available on the 'forgood' platform or employees’ own choice of causes. Recognising that it takes time to cultivate relationships and build trust with communities, and to enable employees to execute their projects successfully, Sasol allows each employee 40 paid hours per year, so that they can make meaningful contributions to communities where they serve.

Sasol’s commitment to employee volunteering includes complementing employees’ financial donations made to approved beneficiary organisations through initiatives known as payroll giving and employee fundraising.

Sasol promotes employee volunteering by utilising its diverse internal communication channels, regular social investment exhibitions and the Sasol new employee induction programme. These platforms help to familiarise employees with the digital forgood platform, and obtain guidance on how to potentially pair their passions or personal skills with a suitable project. This engagement approach has also proven an effective opportunity to learn about the good work that Sasol employees are already doing, and a way to gather and celebrate their volunteering stories.

Since the programme’s official launch in July 2015, Sasol has already seen 1 500 employees registered as volunteers globally, taking advantage of the 40 hours and financial support provided by the company to engage in over 1 200 initiatives reaching over 128 000 people. The following are some initiatives which have been started by its employees.


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Emba Swap Shop In 2013, a group of Sasol junior engineers started a project in a township outside Secunda to get youth interested and excited in the possibilities of the green economy. Once a month, children are encouraged to bring recyclable waste to the store where it is weighed and exchanged for staff-donated items such as toiletries, school supplies, non-perishable food and toys.The project has already reached 2 500 children who have been educated about the impact of waste to landfill, while developing entrepreneurial skills and a sense of pride in their environment. An average of five to six tons of recyclables are collected each month, except for a record day in 2016 when 44 children retrieved two and a half tons of recyclables. Sasol provides the venue for the store at a community facility built for Sasol staff and covers its associated running costs; an aspect that has given the project continuity and community ownership.

Young Engineers ScholarshipThe YES (Young Engineers Scholarship) Programme was started in 2012 by Harshad Bhikha (senior specialist at Sasol Base Chemicals) and Sergio Cieverts (petroleum economist at Sasol Exploration and Petroleum International). Both recipients of scholarships to study chemical engineering, the duo identified a shortage of funding for first-year students to get on the ladder of tertiary education, and began a fund from their own earnings. Over the past five years, Harshad and Sergio have inspired friends and colleagues to contribute to their fund and have already supported nine students to the tune of R600 000 to attend the University of Witwatersrand or the University of Cape Town, to study engineering.Since all sponsored students come from previously disadvantaged backgrounds and are mentored by Sasol employees through their first year, to ensure success, the programme has delivered a solid return on investment. All have passed and will qualify for funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) for subsequent years of study.

The Takalani Foundation Takalani was conceived by project engineer Rendani Maphiswana in 2015 to equip learners with leadership skills, vocational guidance, mentorship and peer-to-peer learning. In under two years, Rendani has registered a legal entity to receive donations, developed a website and reached nearly 2 000 learners in four provinces. Takalani is run by 20 committed colleagues who each manage a career portfolio, supported by 50 mentors who consist of successful business owners, working professionals and fellow students who have excelled despite a disadvantaged background.Together, this dedicated team works to support Rendani’s vision of empowering learners to shift their current reality towards a successful future. At a recent career day hosted in Thohoyandou, which attracted nearly 400 learners from two high schools, children were inspired by career professionals who shared their personal stories. Learners are often surprised to discover that these successful professionals come from similar disadvantaged backgrounds. Takalani Foundation intends to take its career days national and recently hosted a gala dinner where 85 attendees raised R63 000 for future outreach to schools and libraries.

Evaluating impactSasol recognises the need to more effectively measure its long-term impact, beyond the current metrics that mostly capture inputs and activities. In order to gain a deeper understanding of how the quality of life in fence-line communities is being transformed in sustainable ways, Sasol has committed to developing a more stringent monitoring and evaluation process that will first establish baselines and systematically track outcomes and impact. The goal is for a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system to be in place by 2020, and for Sasol to have credible data on how its investments have contributed to socioeconomic development. Recognising that no single organisation can solve all the social challenges faced by the communities in which it operates, Sasol has made a commitment to collaborate with its employees, civil society organisations, non-profit organisations, communities, and other private and public sector partners to jointly develop and implement sustainable solutions to challenges.

Justice Magagula Vice President: Social Investment

www.sasol.com


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For more than 10 years, Tiger Brands has been supporting communities through the provision of high quality, nutrient-dense and fortified foods to beneficiaries in need. The company partners with 14 non-profit organisations (NPO) that provide services ranging from soup kitchens and hospices, to support for students from impoverished backgrounds, orphans and vulnerable children. Through these NPOs, much-needed food is distributed to approximately 40 000 people every month.

Embracing holistic interventionsIn 2017, the total value of Tiger Brands’ donations reached R35 million. The company values its relationships with the communities in which it works, and recognises that the commitment needed to help establish and maintain trust with these communities is vital. To this end, Tiger Brands has reflected on the change brought about by its donations to date, and has begun to explore ways in which its social investment could bring about more long-term and sustainable impact in food security in South Africa. “We want to improve the health of our beneficiaries and their ability to access nutritious food,” says Tiger Brands’ manager for Sustainable Socioeconomic Development, Charissa Jaganath.

Underpinned by South Africa’s National Development Plan, as well as the global Sustainable Development Goals – both of which prioritise food security and adequate nutrition – in 2016, Tiger Brands began to investigate ways in which its charitable giving could be shifted to become more sustainable, collaborative and integrated.

The company convened the first of what is intended to become an annual workshop, involving all 14 of its NPO partners, to conceptualise the way forward. This collaborative review process resulted in a strategy that continues to support existing charitable initiatives, but with increased focus on enhancing these into sustainable interventions. Over time, the nature of the company’s relationship with its NPO partners will shift from primarily providing food, to working together on food security initiatives.

TIGER BRANDS

Charissa JaganathGroup Manager: Sustainable Socio-economic

Development (SSED)www.tigerbrands.com

From food parcels to food security This new focus on sustainable food security includes three main activities:

i. A capacity-building programme focused on nutrition education, food handling, and NGO sustainability

ii. Planting food gardens at the communities and universities that currently receive food support, coupled with community trainings on how to care for, and possibly expand these gardens

iii. A community enterprise development programme that will support the growth of small locally run businesses.

The organisation has begun to make this vision a reality in the 10 communities and four universities that Tiger Brands currently supports. Through their Household and Community Food Garden Initiative launched in July 2017, 194 community members have been introduced to permaculture, environmental ethics and community education through enhanced education and skills transfer.

Despite this shift to help address systemic change for long-term food security, it will not come at the expense of current donations of food, which address a more urgent and immediate need within recipient communities. “The path we have identified going forward is a deepening of the shift from philanthropic giving and dependency towards investing in the creation of sustainable communities whose sense of pride and dignity is restored,” says Jaganath.

The way forwardLooking ahead, Tiger Brands plans to build on its partner relationships, to enhance their focus on the communities in which they work and, in this way, to recognise the value of a social licence to operate. With renewed vigour, the company is asking how to further improve and make relevant its contribution to society, always striving for excellence. It’s an ongoing journey involving continued honest dialogue about social challenges and change. The ultimate aim is to assist people to become healthier and more self-sufficient. ■


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deliberately focus on learners’ socioeconomic and psychosocial development; addressing issues such as transport, nutrition and health and wellness. The programme will continue to contribute towards improving the quality of teaching and learning, with specific focus on English and the STEM subjects, as Telkom works with teachers to develop their knowledge and skills and empowers them to use technology as a teaching tool.

❛❛ There is a considerable supply/demand skills gap in the ICT sector. Telkom has a vital role to play not only in enhancing performance in the gateway STEM subjects to address the skills gap, but also in inspiring youth to join the sector. Sarah Mthintso, Head of the Telkom Foundation

Telkom recognises the value of developing a growth mindset in learners that will engender tenacity and resilience when faced with challenges. The programme is therefore also geared

From its extensive experience, the Foundation has gained a more nuanced understanding of how ICT interventions can be implemented to achieve maximum benefit for learners at school and to pave the way for them to become productive, employed, members of society.

Building on the Connected Schools ProgrammeTelkom Foundation’s flagship project, the Connected Schools Programme (CSP), ran from 1998 until 2017. Its aim was to bridge the digital divide by providing ICT equipment, resources, connectivity and training to schools and educators in rural areas. Over 20 years, Telkom invested R200 million into the programme, benefiting over 1 500 schools, upskilling 18 000 teachers and enhancing the education of 450 000 learners.

However, an independent review of the project, conducted in 2015, showed that greater impact could result from more holistic programming and more targeted and deeper support for fewer learners. After completing the CSPs that were already underway, the Foundation began to implement a revitalised programme.

The new education strategy, launched in 2017, builds on the foundation, but elevates the original CSP to provide a more enriching curriculum. The objective of this new phase in Telkom’s education strategy is to provide disadvantaged high school learners with holistic education that prepares them for success not only in higher education, but that also equips them with employability skills for a potential career in the ICT sector.

A multifaceted approachHaving learnt that infrastructural bridging of the digital divide is not enough to wield significant change, Telkom has adopted an approach that considers all the interconnected aspects that affect a learner’s academic performance and influences the long-term outcome of their education.

From 2017, instead of providing support to a school for a three-year period, as was the case in the original CSP, Telkom is taking a long-term view. The new programme starts with grade 8 learners who will be supported comprehensively right through to matric and beyond. The Foundation will provide ICT solutions, such as computers, educational resources and internet connectivity, but will also consciously and

TELKOM

FORGING CRITICAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENTThe information and communication technology (ICT) industry has an important role to play in improving the quality of education in South Africa. Telkom, through its Foundation, has been contributing to the sector for two decades, harnessing technology to facilitate education and teacher development in the foundation and intermediary school phases, focusing specifically on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In 2017, the Foundation announced a R200-million investment to be spent over the next five years into a revitalised strategy that would focus on addressing education and employability, through holistic ICT interventions in schools.


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to develop critical thinking, to introduce learners to the wider opportunities created by technology, and to teach them to use technology as a way of solving problems in society.

Designing and piloting the new programmeAlthough the new programme was officially launched in July 2017, Telkom began implementation earlier in the year and its design had been in progress for much longer. The Foundation embarked on a careful review process from 2015, assessing the achievements and challenges of past projects, reflecting on the interplay of factors that impact the outcome of any education programme, and engaging with strategic partners.

In February 2017, the project was piloted at five high schools in the Tshwane West Education District, all of which are close to Telkom’s campus in Centurion and which face many of the challenges common in disadvantaged schools, including teacher shortages, ill-equipped classrooms, inadequate teaching resources and a lack of ICT skills among learners and educators. The schools were selected in collaboration with the Department of Education’s district office and in lengthy engagement with school governing bodies, leadership and parents.

R13 million was invested into the initial pilot, providing hardware, software, educational content and a range of training and support for learners and education at each of the five schools. A further R18.2 million is invested in further infrastructure for the 2018 grade 8 intake of the five schools in the Tshwane West Education District and the grade 8 intake in 2018 of two schools in the Port Elizabeth Education District. The grade 8 classrooms were transformed into modern and dynamic educational environments, painted in bright colours and featuring technology boards and the latest ICT equipment. Each school has also been equipped with a computer lab for grades 9 to 12, to provide access to technology and educational content to the learners not directly involved in the programme. The schools receive internet connectivity of 100 gigabites per month.

The teachers have received in depth change management training and ICT integration training, in partnership with SchoolNet SA, to assist them in maximising the value of the ICT

resources at their disposal. Teachers received laptops, which they can take home to prepare their lessons.

Learners are taken through an orientation programme and the Foundation has placed a full-time facilitator at each school. These facilitators are five young interns – local youths who were previously unemployed – who have been ICT trained and employed to provide technical support to in-class support.

Planning for the futureThe goal of the first year has been to pilot the project with 1 000 grade 8 learners, at the five schools in Gauteng. In the next five years, the goal is to roll out the project to two additional schools in the Eastern Cape, so that a total of 5 000 learners will be enrolled, from grade 8 to matric. Thereafter, the programme will be scaled up and implemented nationally.

Telkom is keenly aware of the triple burden of poverty, inequality and unemployment weighing on South Africa’s youth, and how critical it is to be part of addressing these challenges, not just for the future of South Africa, but for the future of the ICT sector in South Africa, as well as for Telkom’s long-term sustainability. Building on 20 years of work in the ICT and education space, the Foundation is excited to be at the forefront of a new era of best practice in placing key ICT technology in the hands of teachers and learners, empowering South African learners to become well-educated and technologically adept members of society. ■

Sarah MthintsoHead of the Telkom Foundation

www.telkom.co.za


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Language, literature and communication are crucial for social cohesion, as well as for the development of children’s imagination, empathy and critical-thinking skills. All academic performance over the course of a child’s lifetime depends on early literacy development. However, South African children – particularly those in poor and rural areas – show extremely concerning numeracy capabilities. By the time they reach grade 4, children should be moving from ‘learning to read’ to ‘reading to learn’. However, around 80% of South African children in public schools are not able to read with comprehension after five years of schooling.

Establishing the extent of the problem The Volkswagen Community Trust’s Literacy Programme was launched in 2015. To establish what would be required by such a programme, Volkswagen consulted with key non-profit organisations (NPO) in the sector, universities and academics, the Department of Basic Education, parents, teachers, school governing bodies and the community at large. In 2016, a baseline study was conducted in partnership with Rhodes University and the University of South Africa in seven primary schools in Uitenhage, Eastern Cape, to assess whether children in grade 3 are able to read accurately, at a steady pace and with meaning in their home language, and whether their classrooms provide an enabling environment for literacy development.

The study revealed that literacy levels in these schools were one to two years below expected standards, which makes the transition to grade 4 (intermediate phase schooling) and higher grades even harder. One of the main contributing factors to this problem was weak teacher content knowledge and pedagogical skill. There was also a lack of books and book corners in each of the schools assessed.

Designing a comprehensive interventionUsing the results and recommendations indicated in the study, Volkswagen has designed and implemented a comprehensive

VW COMMUNITY TRUST

Driving functional literacy in primary schools

literacy intervention in five Uitenhage primary schools. The goal of the project is to ensure that learners are functionally literate by the time they reach age 10, or grade 3.In order to be effective, any literacy project must include a spectrum of interventions aimed at addressing the broader environment in which these children grow up and they learn to read. Volkswagen has therefore partnered with three organisations that focus on different aspects of literacy and learning: Shine Literacy, Edupeg and Nal’ibali National Literacy. Through these partnerships, Volkswagen has created a literacy programme which is aimed at empowering learners, teachers, parents and caregivers. The programme equips learners with the resources necessary to be able to read with meaning and equips teachers, parents and caregivers with the skills needed to support their children in the classroom and at home.

Partnering for success

Learner interventions: Shine Literacy and Nal’iBali Shine Literacy provides individualised support to children in grades 2 and 3 who are at risk of falling behind. Children are paired with a trained volunteer with whom they work once or twice a week during the school day, over a period of at least one year. Shine also ensures that classrooms are equipped with multicultural age-appropriate storybooks to promote a culture of reading throughout the school. Paired and shared partnerships enable younger children to receive help and mentorship from older learners within their schools. Volkswagen has partnered with Shine to implement this method in its five supported schools, as well as to open a Shine Chapter at Ntlemeza Primary School, launched in March 2017. The aim is to open a literacy centre at each of the five schools.Nal’ibali is a national reading-for-enjoyment campaign to spark children’s potential through storytelling and reading. The

Functional literacy is the gateway to all learning, including numeracy. However, the majority of children in South Africa’s poorest areas are unable to read with comprehension after five years of schooling. Through its broad-based Legacy Literacy Programme, Volkswagen’s goal is for all learners in Uitenhage to be functionally literate by the end of grade 3.


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Champion workshops have reached 30 teachers which, in turn, has directly improved the teaching of 1 332 learners. Teachers and principals alike have commented on how useful the programme has been in creating a more disciplined and cooperative classroom environment.

❛❛ As a result of my Edupeg mentorship, my learners are more disciplined and organised. They know what is expected of them and they are attentive, but they are also joyful and have learnt to help each other.Ms Nqolobe, grade 1 teacher at Noninzi Luzipho Primary School

A corporate culture of promoting literacy Driven by the belief that a functionally literate child is the building block of a healthy and whole community, Volkswagen wants to help communities raise children who do well at school, are confident, and enjoy reading. The company looks forward to conducting a follow-up baseline test towards the end of 2017, in order to demonstrate the outcomes and impact of its comprehensive, balanced and holistic Literacy Programme. ■

VW Community Trust041 994 4399

www.vwcommunitytrust.co.za

organisation distributes bilingual supplements that provide children with access to free and relevant reading material that will inspire a lifelong love of reading. Nal’ibali also organises story times and reading clubs at schools, early childhood development (ECD) centres, as well as within the broader communities.

Teacher intervention: Teach Like a ChampionEdupeg is an education NPO that focuses on improving teacher quality at primary school level. The Edupeg team of teacher-mentors visits primary schools to provide sustained mentorship and support for teachers in their own classrooms. The training enables teachers to better manage their classrooms, plan lessons, engage and motivate their learners.

Parent and caregiver intervention: Shine Literacy Family Workshops These workshops equip parents and caregivers with the knowledge and skills to help them better support learning in their homes. Parents are taught to value their existing knowledge and encouraged to embrace their vital role in their children’s education. The workshops provide tips, practical ideas and new resources for making learning in the home fun and enjoyable. Literacy programmes and workshops for pregnant women, have also been initiated at four clinics.

Ensuring conducive learning environments Volkswagen strives to ensure that children come to view their schools as bright and happy places of learning. All five schools are clean and functional, with painted walls and working lights, and many of the company’s employee volunteer activities are aligned to this. For example, Volkswagen employees have been involved in installing mobile and container libraries, painting schools, and creating reading corners at schools and community centres.Volkswagen’s annual Literacy Conference further drives the company’s belief in the importance of literacy and primary school education. The aim of the conference is to highlight the important role of functional literacy at a foundation phase, for improving overall education outcomes. It also offers a platform to share best practice and provides opportunities for collaboration among educational specialists, NPOs, government and civil society.

Reach of the Literacy ProgrammeSince it is still in its developmental phase, Volkswagen has not yet conducted a full evaluation of the programme. However, the reach of the various interventions is already exciting. To date, Volkswagen has installed 22 mobile libraries at the schools and communities in Uitenhage in which the company operates. Shine Literacy workshops have reached 786 learners in the area, and 33 learners are currently part of the Shine Literacy Hour Programme at Ntlemeza School. By the end of 2017, there will be six operational Shine Family Literacy Workshops and associated clinic literacy programmes in Uitenhage.Together with Nal’ibali, Volkswagen has supported the creation of 25 reading clubs at the five schools in the programme, and another 11 reading and ‘story play’ clubs at ECD and community centres in Uitenhage. Edupeg’s Teach Like a

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