Corporate Responsibility » Sustainability » Corporate Social Investment (CSI)

(Information as in Annual Report 2009)

The Shoprite Group sees itself as a responsible corporate citizen contributing on an ongoing basis to the wellbeing of the communities where it does business. Its social-investment programme focuses on a number of areas, but particularly on women, children and senior citizens. In celebration of the role of women in all the country’s endeavours, not least in the fight to bring about political and social equality in this country, the Group in 1996 established the Woman of the Year Award in South Africa
which annually culminated in a glittering awards ceremony. However, against the background of the thousands of South Africans, for whom in these times of financial hardship life is a daily struggle to survive, the Group decided to divert the money that would have been spent on these awards to a national feeding programme. At the same time it is investigating alternative ways in which to continue recognising the role of women in our society.

Some of the projects in which the Group is involved are the following:

• Mobile soup kitchens
  This feeding programme is directed at the poorest communities in South Africa, and then particularly at children and senior citizens in rural areas. At the end of the reporting period there were ten mobile kitchens manned by dedicated staff, distributing on a daily basis soup and bread to the needy in all nine provinces. These trucks will also operate as part of a national relief effort when communities are hit by floods or other natural disasters. The Group estimates that through the programme at least 4,4 million meals will be distributed in the next year.
• Cuppa for CANSA
  The Group is the main sponsor of Cuppa for CANSA, a nationwide initiative hosted by volunteers, partners and members of the public to raise awareness and funds for CANSA in its support for people suffering from cancer. Cuppas were held in all Shoprite and Checkers South African stores in June, raising R560 000 for the expansion of the organisation’s prevention programmes and patient care services around the country.
• Projects aimed at children
  The Group, through its Shoprite and Checkers chains, sponsors several projects aimed at improving the lives of children such as Pretty Things for Little Things undertaken with Age in Action and involving senior citizens in making toys or items of clothing for needy children; and the Toy4Toy campaign in which the Group matches every toy donated by members of the public with one from its own stock. More than 33 000 toys collected in this way were distributed by the SA Red Cross Society to children at Christmas time. To assist girls to fend for themselves in an ever more dangerous world, the Group continued its support for self-defence workshops which have trained 57 000 girls since 2003.
• Shoprite Community Network
  Launched in 2005, this community upliftment initiative has donated more than R4 million to deserving causes. Through the involvement of 13 regional radio stations, members of the public are invited to nominate organisations that make a difference in their communities and every month R10 000 worth of assistance is donated to one such organisation nominated by listeners to each of the 13 stations.
• Play Pumps
  To increase the availability of running water to rural communities, the Group supports the installation and maintenance of an innovative water pumping system of which more than 1 000 units have been installed in South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland. These units, called PlayPumps, are designed as merry-go-rounds that pump water into a reservoir as the children play on them. It has invested more than R3 million in this project since 2002.
• Strokes of Genius
  In 2006 Shoprite Checkers approached the departments of Arts and Culture and Trade and Industry with a concept to promote African fine arts to a global market through a dedicated website serving local artists free of charge. The project now also includes crafters whose creations are featured on the website. Two exhibitions offering both art works and craft objects for sale were held in 2008 while four exhibitions are planned for before the end of the 2009 calendar year. The interactive website is updated as works are sold and new ones are added. Government support for the project at all levels has been outstanding. Government officials took responsibility for all craft components of exhibitions, selecting the best of what was available. Good sales were recorded and feedback from crafters was extremely positive. The project also supports an annual auction of top-quality paintings and craft objects selected by a panel of judges. A national art competition for learners in secondary schools was launched in June 2009 and will not only reward the winning young artists but also their schools. This will be followed by a themed competition in 2010. (www.strokesofgenius.co.za)

Also see: Community Involvement
 

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