Corporate social responsibility does not begin and end with writing a once-off cheque and sending it to a charity organisation. For South African businesses to be good corporate citizens, social impact needs to be a fundamental part of their organisational strategies. Employees and leaders need to go to work each day knowing they’re helping to make people’s lives and their communities better.
Social impact also needs to reach everyone, which means giving people from all backgrounds the chance to be heard. This became especially important ahead of South Africa’s G20 presidency and the B20 Summit. As the country engaged on global policy issues, it became clear that ordinary South Africans had meaningful insights to contribute.
“It’s rare for an opportunity like B20 to come around, an opportunity for ordinary South Africans to play a part in policy discussions and help identify and advance national priorities,” says Ndumiso Zulu, CEO of the Old Mutual Group Social Investments “Building on the gains we’ve made as a corporate citizen, the Old Mutual Group took things a step further. We put small business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, learners and community members from all walks of life in the same room as global leaders. That is how we achieve real, lasting social impact.” With the B20 Summit now concluded, the voices gathered through Add Your Voice helped bring communities closer to decision makers and allowed them to participate in processes that align with global priorities.
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This connection between community perspectives and policy engagement reinforces Old Mutual’s wider commitment to social impact across South Africa. It must make a difference in the communities where it operates. Whether the focus is on education and skills development, healthcare, environmental awareness or economic empowerment, projects must serve as change drivers and open up opportunities for people who are disenfranchised or underserved.
“As Old Mutual evolved over the last 180 years, so too has our approach to responsible corporate citizenship. With Old Mutual Social Investments, we aim to futureproof our approach to community investment across the Group,” explains Zulu. “The intention is that through our collective contributions, we will help enable a future where social inequalities and poverty are no longer pressing issues.” South Africans need pathways for positive change.
Those pathways can start at home, at their place of work, where they gather with their communities or where they learn. What these spaces have in common is that they need support at an institutional level to help people thrive. This is where Old Mutual’s long-standing community investment work becomes so important.
Established in 1999, the Old Mutual Foundation set out to invest in vulnerable communities, focusing on key areas such as education, humanitarian relief and employee volunteerism. Over the years, that mission has evolved along with Old Mutual’s Group strategy. This has led to new initiatives that put people at the centre of the transformation the Foundation strives for. In addition to education, the Foundation has prioritised humanitarian relief efforts, including emergency relief, social cohesion, food security and livelihood support.
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