Doing good makes good business sense

BRAND ACTIVITY

Mar 26th, 09:12

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a very important part of the South African business environment. Gone are the days when hand-outs or special social programmes to make business look good suffice. Simba, South Africa’s leading snack company, has been working hard at improving the financial and social conditions of communities where they do business.

The company has seen the results of the Simba Mosaic Academy, which sponsors high performing Grade 12 learners to enroll in tertiary studies. The company’s goal is to play more than just a monetary role in the lives of these students, aiming to mentor them through their education process as well.

In 2012, Simba selected five Grade 12 learners - within the regions of Mamelodi, Tembisa, Daveyton, Duduza and Katlehong – to be part of the Mosaic Academy. The selected learners where each allocated laptops and 3G cards for access to online information, which was needed for their studies.

Additionally, each young person in the programme was carefully matched to a mentor (within the company) who offered advice and assistance with education and skills training, personal development and support with family and community reintegration. The students were introduced to the Simba management team and conducted site visits to get a feel for how a corporate company is managed.

These learners have proven to be highflyers and achieved great results in 2012:

• Lebohang Mabena : 6 Distinctions (English, Mathematics, Life Sciences, Geography, Physical Science and Life Orientation)
• Phetolo Hlubi: 5 Distinctions (English, Mathematics, Geography, Life Sciences and Physical Science)
• Queen Nyathi: 1 Distinction (Life Sciences)
• Bokang Motaung: 1 Distinction
• Mbalenhle Motau: Pass B Aggregate

Arnold Selokane, Transformation Manager at Simba says “The South African context is a compelling reason for businesses to get involved with communities. Young people in South Africa face a number of challenges, especially those who have lived without the support and guidance of loving families. With almost half of South Africans living below the poverty line, and unemployment rates amongst youth in excess of 50%, businesses can no longer afford to be passive observers of economic revitalisation.”

A new study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada conducted over a five year period with 1,000 youth found that those with a mentor are “significantly more confident in their academic abilities and considerably less likely to display behavioural problems.”

“Education has always formed a major part of our CSR strategy. We saw an excellent opportunity to equip pupils for the future through this programme by providing access to quality learning materials to learners who needed it,” concludes Selokane.Click here for more information on Simba