Environmental, Social 
and Governance 
Report 2020
We are strong and resilient.
We are One Imperial.
We are beyond possibility.

Connecting Africa 
and the world and 
improving people’s 
lives with access to 
quality products 
and services
For important information on forward looking statements in this report, refer to the inside back cover.
Our purpose
We urge our stakeholders to make use of our reporting website, which presents the full extent 
of our reporting for the year.
Stakeholders can access the group’s reports, and interim and annual financial results 
announcements and presentations at https://www.imperiallogistics.com/inv-reports.php or scan 
the QR code to be taken there directly.
All photographs were taken pre-Covid-19. Appropriate health and safety protocols are being followed to protect stakeholders during the pandemic.
Supplementary information available online
Full corporate governance 
report, incorporating 
application of King IVTM* 
principles
Audited consolidated annual 
financial statements for the 
year ended 30 June 2020
Integrated Report 2020
*  Copyright and trademarks are owned by the Institute of Directors in South Africa NPC and all its rights are reserved.

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1
Section
Section
Section
Section
2
People and  
culture report 
3
Social report
4
Environmental 
report
18
Why redefining our people 
proposition matters
20
Performance overview
22
Our people strategy
23
Create a ‘One Imperial’ 
culture
25
Standardised HR systems 
and processes
26
Effective talent 
management and learning 
and development
28
Diversity and inclusion
30
Key data
34
Why supporting relevant 
social imperatives matters
35
Performance overview
37
Response to Covid-19
39
Defensible health and 
safety practices
47
Affordable, quality 
healthcare in Africa
52
Transformation in 
South Africa
55
Community development
59
Road safety awareness in 
South Africa
62
Key data
66
Why environmental 
stewardship matters
68
Performance overview
70
Management approach
72
Reducing our 
environmental footprint
76
Managing hazardous 
substances
77
Key data
6
Who we are
8
Our values
10
Integrating ESG practices
12
Letter from the SES 
committee chairman
14
Demonstrate consistently 
ethical business conduct
1
1
Section
Introduction
78
Independent limited 
assurance report
Additional 
information
Section
Section
Section
2
Our reporting
5
Section
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020
1

Our reporting
The Imperial Logistics Limited (Imperial) environmental, social and governance (ESG) report to 
stakeholders, for the period 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020, supplements our integrated report, and 
covers our governance, strategies, risks and performance in relation to our material social and 
environmental issues. It provides readers with an in-depth view of our activities under the following 
two pillars of our business strategy.
OUR STRATEGIC PILLARS
6
Integrating ESG 
practices
1
Operate as 
‘One Imperial’, 
offering unique 
end-to-end 
solutions
2
People are our 
greatest asset
3
Extensive
Africa footprint, 
serving as a 
‘Gateway to Africa’
4
International 
footprint and 
expertise
5
Go digital, 
be digital, 
enable digital
R
e
t
a
i
n
D
e
e
p
e
n
G
r
o
w
B
u
il
d
O
u
r
a
s
p
i
r
a
t
i
o
n
s
and enhance our industry, 
market and country legitimacy
competitiveness
and relevance
sustainable revenue, 
achieve targeted returns
‘One Imperial’ 
group
OUR STRATEGIC POSITIONING
Our purpose:
Connecting
Africa and
the world and
improving
people’s
lives with
access to 
quality
products 
and services.
We are transforming Imperial 
from a regional portfolio of 
businesses to an integrated, 
end-to-end market access and 
logistics business
Unlock increasing value for our 
clients, principals, shareholders 
and other stakeholders
Key differentiators:
– Ability to build this business   
 
in some of the most  
 
 
challenging markets in Africa
– Ability to develop leading  
 
 
positions as a strategic  
 
 
market access and logistics   
 
partner to multinational  
 
 
principles and clients
Grow both organically and 
through strategic acquisitions  
in Africa and selected markets
A business of scale
Our strategic intent is to 
become the ‘Gateway to 
Africa’ – transforming from 
an asset-heavy, 3PL logistics 
player to an innovative, 
asset-right business
‘One Imperial’ 
strategy
OUR STRATEGIC PILLARS
6
Integrated ESG 
practices
1
Operate as 
‘One Imperial’, 
offering unique 
end-to-end 
solutions
2
People are our 
greatest asset
3
Extensive
Africa footprint – 
serving as a 
‘Gateway to Africa’
4
International 
footprint and 
expertise
5
Go digital, 
be digital, 
enable digital
Our business 
model
1a
1b
2
4
5a
5b
6a
6b
7b
Manufacturing
Distributors
Formal 
retail
Informal 
retail
Retail services 
demand 
generation
Retail services 
demand 
generation
7a Consumer
Consumer
Air, road and 
ocean; sourcing 
and procurement
Air and road
Road, air and 
ocean, packaged 
goods; sourcing 
and procurement
Exports
Imports
3 Warehousing
Road, air and ocean
Raw materials
Packaging
Our inputs
FINANCIAL CAPITAL
●Total shareholders’ equity of R8,3 billion (F2019: 
R8,2 billion). 
●Net debt:EBITDA1 (excluding IFRS 16 and before 
proceeds from sale of European shipping) of 
2,8 times (F2019: 2,0 times) – well below our 
covenants of 3,25 times.
●Creating value for shareholders by generating 
sustainable returns and cash ﬂ ow over time.
●Strong balance sheet management.
●Capacity for growth – R4 billion to R5 billion 
available liquidity.
●Strong cash and liquidity position with 
R13,2 billion of available facilities and cash 
following the receipt of the proceeds from the 
sale of the European shipping business.
HUMAN CAPITAL
●Over 25 000 employees, excluding consumer 
packaged goods (CPG) and European shipping. 
●Transformative strategy underpinned by our 
‘One Imperial’ culture journey and clear people 
proposition.
●Proven leadership team, led by a strong and 
diverse board.
●Invest in developing and retaining top talent.
●Responsible management of organisational 
change and restructuring.
INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL
●Aligning processes, including the roll-out of a 
single ﬁ nance, human resources (HR) and 
communications system.
● USD20 million innovation fund, in partnership with 
Newtown Partners, invests in disruptive innovation 
for competitive advantage.
● Accelerated investment in digital and data as a 
core focus of our strategy. 
●Leverage data from route-to-market activity.
● Effective integration of acquisitions into 
‘One Imperial’.
MANUFACTURED CAPITAL
●Scale and footprint across 26 countries.
●Ongoing focus on reducing asset intensity.
●The transport ﬂ eet of subcontractors that provide 
ﬂ exibility in responding to client and principal 
requirements.
●National transport infrastructure and utilities 
required to operate.
RELATIONSHIP CAPITAL
●Fully integrated route-to-market offering.
●Clear value proposition to clients, principals and 
customers offering simplicity, ﬂ exibility, resilience 
and visibility.
●Purpose-driven organisation focusing on people, 
proﬁ t and planet.
●Recognised industry, market and country 
legitimacy, with increasing brand equity.
●Strong in-country stakeholder relationships.
NATURAL CAPITAL
●Integrating ESG practices into ‘business as usual’.
●Responsible business practices protect against 
adverse environmental impacts.
We are transforming into ‘One Imperial’ group that is structured, equipped and optimised to leverage our unique 
competitive advantages. This will enable us to achieve our aspirations to grow sustainable revenue and achieve targeted 
returns, deepen our competitiveness and relevance, and retain our industry and market legitimacy thereby unlocking value 
for all our stakeholders.
Read more on page 38.
Read more on 
page 10.
Delivering our strategy
Our strategy is designed to deliver sustainable growth and targeted 
returns, to deepen competitiveness and relevance, and retain market 
and industry legitimacy.
Our operating 
context
Our outputs
End-to-end integrated service offering across the logistics value chain
e
l
b
Info
Re
m
n
e
t
nt
e
tex
R
p
R
p
ontex
nsum
b
e
l services
m
n
7a Consum
b
u
7a C
Info
il
m
Read more on page 44.
Read more on page 26.
Read more on 
page 16.
Risks and opportunities
Our risk approach aims to integrate risk management 
practices into our strategy to support the achievement of 
our transformational business objectives.
Governance and corporate citizenship
Our governance and control principles and structures enable and 
protect value and legitimacy in our markets and industries.
Our outcomes 
●We play a critical role 
in the success and 
sustainability of our 
clients and principals, 
countries and 
communities by 
providing access to 
medication and 
healthcare products, 
consumer goods and 
other logistics solutions 
within key industries, in 
some of the fastest 
growing and most 
challenging markets 
in the world.
●We continually deepen 
our relevance and 
competitiveness – and 
that of our clients – by 
investing in our people, 
innovation and 
sustainable ESG 
practices, thereby 
retaining our legitimacy 
and the trust of our 
stakeholders in the 
industries, markets and 
countries in which 
we operate.
Imperial‘s unique Market Access business and heightened focus on digital and data are key differentiators in 
our markets. Combined with our strong logistics expertise and our legitimacy in our industries and markets, we 
create longstanding relationships with multinational clients – the springboard for shared value creation.
1  EBITDA: Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and 
amortisation.
FREIGHT, CONTRACT LOGISTICS, LLP
MARKET ACCESS, DEMAND GENERATION, CONTRACT MANUFACTURING
In terms of the six capitals of the International <IR> Framework, this report primarily focuses on our dependence and impact on human 
and intellectual capital, social and relationship capital and natural capital. For the detailed disclosure on our dependence and impact on 
all six capitals, readers are referred to our integrated report, specifically our business model. A detailed discussion on our strategy can 
also be accessed in that report as per the below snapshots.
  Our strategy in the integrated report: 
page 38.
  Our business model in the integrated report: page 14.
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

3
Make contact:
  Feedback, questions or requests from stakeholders can be directed to: 
Rafiek Sharfuddin at rafiek.sharfuddin@imperiallogistics.com.
Scope and boundary
The report covers our group operations, including subsidiaries and investment in associates. More broadly, the risks, opportunities and 
outcomes associated with our stakeholders are reported insofar as these relationships materially affect our ability to create value in the short, 
medium and long term. Our key stakeholders − who have a vested interest in and support Imperial − are our employees, clients, principals 
and customers (collectively referred to as clients), business partners, suppliers, communities, providers of capital, governments and 
regulators.
Reporting frameworks and assurance
Our ESG report has been prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative’s G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (GRI Standards), 
at a core application level. Selected non-financial information has been assured by Deloitte & Touche as per ISAE 3 000 and the independent 
limited assurance report is included on page 78.
Materiality determination
We define material issues as those factors most likely to influence the decisions of our stakeholders in relation to the capital inputs they 
provide to the group, and the outcomes they expect to derive in return. The process followed to determine our material issues, which are 
linked to key stakeholder concerns and associated management priorities, is set out on page 47 of the integrated report. The group’s 
executive committee was instrumental in determining the material issues for the year, which were reviewed and approved by the group 
board. They have informed the preparation of the group’s reports.
2020: themes
2020: material issues
Strategic growth underpinned by effective 
capital management
 
●Effectively manage, allocate and deploy capital for long-term value creation.
 
●Focus, unify and transform to drive organic and acquisitive growth.
Alignment of culture and people to our 
purpose-led strategy
 
●Drive a purpose-led ‘One Imperial’ culture and accelerate investment in our people 
and organisational capabilities.
Invest in and transform structure and 
processes to achieve our strategy
 
●Invest in aligning, integrating and optimising systems and practices to support 
sustainable performance.
 
●Implement digital and data initiatives to support strategic delivery and facilitate access 
to new revenue streams.
Deliver shared value as a purpose-driven 
organisation
 
●Deepen legitimacy and enhance organisational visibility.
Covid-19
Our response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is covered throughout the report narrative, where the impact of the crisis has been 
material. Key impacts have been on the workforce, learning and development (covered in the people and culture report) and the health and 
safety of our stakeholders, transformation in South Africa and our community development initiatives (covered in the social report). The 
pictures used in this report were taken prior to the Covid-19 outbreak and therefore do not portray our people wearing masks.
Report preparation and presentation
Interviews with executive and non-executive leadership, together with other internal and external sources of information, have been used to 
prepare the report. The group executive committee has reviewed the report to ensure its integrity. The Imperial board delegates the 
responsibility of the preparation and presentation of the ESG report to the social, ethics and sustainability (SES) committee. The committee 
has reviewed and recommended the report to the board for approval.
Board responsibility and approval statement
The Imperial board acknowledges its responsibility to ensure the integrity of the 2020 integrated and ESG reports. In the board’s opinion, 
the reports address all material issues and matters that may impact the group’s ability to create value over time, and provide a balanced and 
appropriate overview of the group’s strategy, risks, performance and prospects. 
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

1
Section
4
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

5
Introduction
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Who we are  
at a glance
1	Ranked 28th in the Armstrong & Associates 2019 Gross Revenue list of top 50 third-party logistics (3PL) providers.
2	Continuing operations excluding consumer packaged goods and shipping.
We have established a leading Market Access business across Africa and are the premier 
logistics provider in Southern Africa. We have developed strong expertise and leading 
market positions in contract logistics and freight in Europe and the United Kingdom. 
Leveraging our powerful competitive advantages and specialised capabilities,  
we are positioning the group as the ‘Gateway to Africa’.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
9
10
8
3
4
9
10
2
1
7
8
5
6
We are headquartered in Johannesburg and listed on 
the Johannesburg Stock Exchange
Focus on ﬁve key industries: healthcare, consumer, 
automotive, chemicals and industrial
We take clients to some of the fastest growing and most 
challenging markets in the world
We are ranked among the top 30 global logistics 
providers1
We employ 25 2322 people in 26 countries
We earned revenue of R46,4 billion (USD2,96 billion) 
and continuing EBITDA of R4,1 billion (USD262 million) 
in F2020
We provide access to quality medication and healthcare 
products, consumer goods and other products and services
We invest in our countries and communities, with a key 
focus on integrating ESG into daily business practices
We seek out and leverage technology to deliver 
innovative, integrated, end-to-end solutions
We aim to be the strategic partner of choice for 
multinationals seeking access to Africa’s growth story
R
R
Our purpose 
Our purpose is to connect Africa and the world, improving people’s lives with access to quality products and services. Uninterrupted 
and efficient supply chains mean survival, recovery, growth and development − essential to the economies in which we operate, 
supporting the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in our 26 countries of operation.
OUR STRATEGIC PILLARS
6
Integrating ESG 
practices
1
Operate as 
‘One Imperial’, 
offering unique 
end-to-end 
solutions
2
People are our 
greatest asset
3
Extensive
Africa footprint, 
serving as a 
‘Gateway to Africa’
4
International 
footprint and 
expertise
5
Go digital, 
be digital, 
enable digital
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

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Our geographic footprint
China
India
Europe
Middle 
East
Africa
UK
Our transformation journey 
Our strategy leverages our competitive advantages in Africa to position Imperial as the ‘Gateway to Africa’ and aims to transform the group 
from a regional portfolio of businesses to a unified ‘One Imperial’ brand. 
The transformation of our business, which requires a fundamental shift in our operating model, organisational structure, mindset and culture, 
aims to align the interests of our clients, our people and our shareholders in our pursuit of shared value.
Our strategy and transformation journey are grounded in the ‘outside-in’ perspectives of our stakeholders and a detailed assessment of 
strategic, financial and industry trends, expectations and uncertainties. Our transformation will move the group definitively from its current 
state, which has not generated returns or created value in recent years, to a future state in which we are positioned to unlock, create and 
sustain shared value for all our stakeholders over the long term.
In-country operations
Countries serviced through partnership networks
Pharmaceutical and consumer health distributors
Consumer goods distributors
Freight management
Sourcing procurement
  Our purpose in the integrated report: page 4.
  Operating as ‘One Imperial’ in the integrated report: page 8.
  Our strategy in the integrated report: page 38.
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Our values
5
2
4
3
WE ARE
INNOVATIVE
EMPOWERED 
PEOPLE
WE GO THE
EXTRA MILE
OUR PEOPLE
MATTER
1
WE WIN WITH 
TEAMWORK
We conducted two values surveys − the first 
targeting our top 100 leaders and another rolled 
out across all our group companies and regions, to 
identify the values needed to shape a sustainable 
future for Imperial. In the first phase, the results of 
the survey indicated that our leaders have a 
balanced, expansive and forward-thinking set of 
personal values and a strong desire to transform 
Imperial. However, both surveys also highlighted 
that a new values system was needed to drive 
teamwork, employee empowerment, a shared 
vision and co-operation. 
From the insights gained, we crafted the five 
organisational values and associated behaviours 
reported alongside. Six clear leadership 
behaviours and attributes have also been defined 
to help our leaders effectively model the culture 
change and bring life to our values. Roll out of 
these values started in the first quarter of F2021.
  Our purpose in the integrated report: page 4.
To ensure we live our purpose and deliver on our strategy, we must drive a fundamental 
shift in organisational culture, away from a decentralised and siloed organisation to a 
culture of operating as ‘One Imperial’. During the year, we established the foundation for 
this shift in a new set of shared organisational values designed to deeply connect our 
people to our organisational purpose and drive ‘One Imperial’ thinking.
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Imperial Logistics INTEGRATED ANNUAL REPORT 2020
• We collaborate
• We share ideas and opportunities
• We work and win together to achieve common goals
• We hold each other accountable
• We earn each other’s trust with transparency
• We celebrate success together
• We take personal accountability for our performance and our behaviour
• We are free to make a difference
• We bring our whole selves to work
• We will go beyond possibility
• Our people’s safety comes ﬁrst
• We value diversity
• We recognise and respect each other as adults and equals
• We recognise performance and commitment
• We encourage lifelong learning and growth
• We provide opportunities to grow careers
• Our clients, principals and customers are at the heart of all we do
• We are fully focused on providing value to our clients, principals and     
  customers  
• We act with integrity when we strive to add value
• Our communities are better off because we are here
• We expect to improve every day
• We learn from our mistakes
• Our entrepreneurial spirit drives us to look for 
   new ways of delivering value to our stakeholders
• We go where others dare not go − we are pioneers
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Integrating  
ESG practices
We will continue to invest in our people as our 
greatest asset − paying particular attention to our 
talent pipeline and on leveraging skills and 
expertise across the group. Our strategy will 
ensure that the business is well-equipped with 
talented and skilled people and expertise, 
supported by optimal systems and processes, to 
drive strategic execution, competitive 
differentiation, operational efficiency and 
innovation.
As an underpin to our industry, market and 
country legitimacy and reputation as a trusted 
partner, and to prepare for a post-pandemic 
world, we are accelerating our investment in 
embedding ESG practices into daily business to 
ensure proactive management of our impacts 
beyond compliance requirements. This will 
ensure that Imperial has the relevant ESG policies 
and strategies to drive strategic group initiatives, 
develop key stakeholder relationships and 
continue to grow our impact and reach through 
various corporate social investment (CSI) 
initiatives. Performance against these objectives 
will be tracked and measured.
Strategic initiatives
People are our  
greatest asset
Integrating ESG practices
 
●Creating a ‘One Imperial’ 
culture.
 
●Transforming leadership 
diversity and mindset.
 
●Attracting and retaining the 
best talent and skills.
 
●Protecting our licence to operate and 
reputation.
 
●Proactively managing and investing in ESG 
as part of our daily course of business.
 
●We care about our communities, environment 
and countries of operation.
 
●Purpose-driven.
 
●People, planet and profit given priority.
Linking performance to remuneration
Key performance measures that will drive behaviours that deliver on our strategic 
objectives have been developed. To ensure long-term value is created for all 
stakeholders, our key measures are less short-term focused and balanced across 
financial and non-financial performance, including ‘One Imperial’ strategic 
initiatives. In F2021, these indicators will form the basis of the remuneration policy.
Governance of environmental and social practices
The governance structures below are tasked with ensuring that ESG is given the 
right level of attention and that responsible ESG practices extend across the 
organisation and into strategic and daily operational decision making and business 
practice. Through these structures, we aim to ensure that capital allocation decisions 
are considerate of national priorities and are socially relevant and environmentally 
responsible.
Imperial board
The board of directors is ultimately responsible for people management and ESG issues and it is kept abreast 
of all critical concerns and regulatory matters relating to these aspects. It delegates responsibility for people 
matters and ESG issues to the group SES committee and the executive management team.
Group SES 
committee
The SES committee has a statutory mandate to ensure that citizenship and stewardship are intrinsic to our daily 
business conduct. The committee brings a social conscience to board and group decisions, ensuring balance 
between the group’s need to compete for limited resources in the interest of commercial success, with the need to 
sustain the health of the ecosystem we live in, with its interconnected social, economic and natural elements.
The committee has an approved annual work plan, complies with the requirements of the Companies Act, and 
follows the established guidelines of the King Report on Corporate Governance in South Africa 2016.
The committee meets four times a year. To ensure a balance between independence and practical implementation, 
the committee is chaired by an independent non-executive director. It has four members − three non-executive 
directors, including the group chairman, and the group CEO. The chief corporate affairs and investor relations 
officer, the group head of sustainability, group risk executive, group chief people officer, transformation director, 
health and safety executive and the group legal executive attend as invitees.
Vigorous monitoring through well-established reporting lines, and against relevant frameworks and indicators, 
ensures implementation of policies at group and divisional levels.
ESG/CSI 
committee
A dedicated ESG/CSI committee, a sub-committee of the SES board committee, provides oversight and 
implements good corporate practices relating to CSI, enterprise development and ESG. The committee includes 
representatives at a group and divisional level and meets quarterly. The committee approves all CSI and enterprise 
development projects and spend to ensure they align with our strategic objectives and reviews safety and risk 
matters. The chief corporate affairs and investor relations officer, a member of the group executive committee and 
responsible for ESG, chairs the committee.
As we transform Imperial to better meet the needs and requirements of our clients, we are 
also deeply committed to becoming a purpose-driven organisation that creates sustainable, 
long-term value for all stakeholders. We understand that to achieve this we must prioritise 
people, planet and profit. Our new business strategy integrates people and ESG practices 
as two fundamental enablers of growth and sets key objectives for each pillar.
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Imperial Logistics INTEGRATED ANNUAL REPORT 2020
Executive 
committee
The group executive committee is tasked with monitoring the integration of ESG into daily business practices. 
ESG falls within the group corporate affairs and investor relations portfolio − the first time that accountability for 
ESG is held at executive management level.
Safety, health, 
environmental and 
quality (SHEQ) 
committee
The biannual SHEQ committee is attended by divisional safety champions, managing directors (by invitation) and 
occupational health and safety representatives in South Africa as well as a representative for Market Access. The 
committee is tasked with implementing SHEQ policies, managing environmental and safety compliance, 
addressing incidents and near misses, reviewing SHEQ audits, implementing action plans and raising 
environmental awareness.
Logistics International’s SHEQ and Sustainability Department centralises the co-ordination and management of 
ESG issues in collaboration with representatives from the division’s operational units. The department provides 
assurance on the quality and sustainability of our initiatives and ensures that specialist knowledge and best 
practices are shared among group companies.
Policies
Group-wide ESG policies and guidelines, including for CSI and climate change, have been developed and 
approved by the group executive and SES board committees − a first for the group. These policies and 
guidelines are being implemented across all operations.
Looking forward
An immediate priority for Imperial is to initiate processes to help us 
understand the direct and indirect impacts of our business and ESG 
and community activities on our industry, society and stakeholders. 
A socioeconomic impact assessment study is scheduled for the 
second half of the 2020 calendar year. The initial study will 
encompass South Africa and Nigeria (two of our major markets). 
In addition, we will demonstrate our commitment to ESG practices 
by advancing our scores in global ESG indices and ratings.
Key performance measures
 
●Maintaining global ESG ratings.
 
●CSI spend of 1% of net profit after tax (NPAT) for businesses in 
addition to group initiatives.
 
●Branding and stakeholder perception assessment.
 
●No material reputational events.
 
●Complete socioeconomic impact study in Nigeria and 
South Africa.
 
●Execute on waste management objectives.
EcoVadis
Group 
Transportation and Logistics
Silver status
scoring 48 out of 100 points.
Logistics International  
Chemical
Gold status 
scoring 62 out of 100 points.
Automotive
Gold status
scoring 66 out of 100 points.
EcoVadis is an independent 
international rating agency that 
evaluates the sustainability 
performance of global supply chain 
companies in 150 sectors across 
110 countries.
CDP (group)
B+ rating
This is higher than the global 
average (C) and the Africa regional 
average (B–). Our next submission is 
due in August 2020.
London Stock Exchange 
FTSE4Good 
Index Series
A global sustainable  
investment index series.
3,8
overall score out of five
(2019: 3,7)
3,2
environmental score
(2019: 3,1)
3,4
social score
(2019: 3,2)
5,0
governance score
(2019: 5,0)
United Nations (UN) Global 
Compact
The group became a 
signatory to the UN 
Global Compact.
Imres has been a signatory  
since 2016.
The group’s code of conduct and 
the SES committee’s annual work 
plan have subscribed to the  
10 principles of the UN Global 
Compact for over 10 years.
Performance rankings
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Letter from the  
SES committee chairman
The SES committee is the conscience of 
Imperial. Cornerstones to our approach 
are to define and outlaw unethical 
behaviour and encourage good 
corporate citizenship that seeks no 
reward for improving the communities in 
which we operate. We strive to ensure 
that every one of our people, in every 
decision and every action, understands 
that we share a destiny with our 
stakeholders.
The Covid-19 crisis has served as a timely 
reminder of our responsibilities not just 
as a business, but also as a corporate 
citizen across our 26 countries of 
operation. Among the foundational 
principles of our governance standards 
is that business draws its legitimacy from 
society and depends on sound and 
enduring relationships with 
stakeholders − an acknowledgement that 
we share a destiny. Ethical and inclusive 
decisions, therefore, are those that 
enhance the intangible common good 
of improving that destiny.
We laud the fact that the ‘One Imperial’ 
strategy puts purpose at the heart of our 
transformation and growth and is a 
galvanising vision for anyone who cares 
about progress and possibility. Similarly, 
‘One Imperial’ speaks to the human 
desire for connection and belonging, to 
the sense of grand mission that a large 
organisation offers. Covid-19 has 
delivered a home truth: our resilience is 
built on strong relationships, on teams 
bound together by common cause, 
kindness and trust. This extends beyond 
the organisation to trusted relationships 
with individuals that are our employees, 
our clients, principals and customers, our 
communities and governments − each 
with specific interests and expectations − 
as well as members of the societies 
we serve. 
Our new business strategy elevates our 
approach to ESG management, and we 
intend to be measured against the 
strategic objectives set under this pillar. 
The integration of ESG practices into our 
everyday business activities extends to 
investing in our employees, cultivating a 
diverse and inclusive work environment, 
serving our clients exceptionally and 
transparently, strengthening the 
communities in which we live and work 
and promoting environmental 
stewardship. Our robust governance 
systems, risk management and controls, 
and regular monitoring of ESG trends 
ensure that ESG is effectively managed as 
a business fundamental. We seek 
continuous improvement in these areas 
to underpin our long-term success and 
ability to deliver value for our 
stakeholders. 
To give weight to our commitment and to 
continue to meet and improve our 
responsibilities in terms of human rights, 
labour, environment and anti-corruption, 
the Imperial Group is now a formal 
signatory to the UN Global Compact. 
We will also engage in collaborative 
projects which advance the broader 
development goals, particularly the 
Sustainable Development Goals. 
An annual statement to this effect will be 
published going forward.
The committee is exceptionally proud of 
how our people responded to Covid-19, 
stepping up to ensure that our clients’ 
supply chains remained uninterrupted 
and effective − that goods and services 
could flow to those we serve and those 
most in need. In particular, we 
acknowledge the contributions and 
sacrifices thousands of our people made 
to deliver essential health and safety 
supplies, while also meeting high 
standards of service delivery and ethical 
conduct. We remember with great 
sadness the 11 colleagues who 
succumbed to the virus and extend our 
heartfelt condolences to their families 
and colleagues. 
This committee has tough, sometimes 
anguishing conversations that have a 
lasting effect on people’s lives. For 
example, during this time of economic 
contraction, rightsizing is a reality for 
Imperial. The SES committee ensures that 
retrenchments are only ever a last resort, 
and that this has been properly 
determined and carried out not only 
lawfully, but also in a spirit of sensitivity. 
The importance of health and safety has 
taken on a new criticality since the advent 
of Covid-19, however, for Imperial the 
safety of our drivers and public road 
users has always been a major focus area. 
In particular, we continue to leverage 
technology to reduce accidents. Sadly, 
towards the end of the financial year, we 
reported one employee fatality in an 
accident caused by a third-party vehicle. 
We regret the death of our colleague, 
Mr TJ Thupaemang, and again offer our 
deepest sympathies to his family and 
friends. As we drive ‘One Imperial’ 
thinking and action, we will develop 
standardised approaches to safety to 
ensure that we are proactive in our 
actions and that we leverage the 
extensive experience and expertise in the 
group to deliver best safety practices. 
To support our people during this 
unprecedented time, we prioritised their 
safety and paid salaries of approximately 
R160 million to operational employees 
whose services were not required during 
periods of lockdown between March 
2020 and June 2020. Voluntary salary and 
fee cuts of 25% were taken by directors 
and executive management. In keeping 
with our commitment to develop and 
support our communities and countries 
in this time of critical need, Imperial 
sourced and delivered thousands of 
cubic metres of personal protective 
equipment and medical-grade sanitisers 
to the private and public sectors in South 
Africa and Europe, some on a cost 
recovery basis. In addition, our 
contribution to humanitarian causes in 
South Africa included R5 million to the 
Solidarity Fund, R5 million to the Giving 
for Hope Foundation in support of small, 
medium and micro-enterprises and 
R500 000 to Gift of the Givers. We also 
worked with charitable organisations, 
providing vehicles and resources to 
deliver food parcels and other basic 
needs to communities in South Africa 
most impacted by the crisis. One of our 
flagship CSI projects in South Africa, 
Unjani Clinics, assisted government as an 
additional Covid-19 screening measure, 
reaching 75 000 patients. 
‘Transformation’ is a positive word for 
Imperial, as we transform the business in 
accordance with our strategy and with 
high expectations. Our government has 
prioritised its promise to redress past 
wrongs and we align ourselves with this 
intent, with inclusion and collaboration 
being the cornerstones of our culture 
journey. Efforts to create opportunities 
for local people, whether in Africa or 
elsewhere, have been emphasised and 
are part of our employee value 
proposition. Besides these efforts, which 
are critical to our legitimacy in our 
countries of operation, common decency 
demands that our management teams 
challenge barriers to culture, race and 
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gender, and that they actively seek and 
nurture talent in underrepresented groups. 
True diversity, beyond achieving required 
measures of race and gender 
representation, is achieved through 
valuing, combining and leveraging 
different perspectives, life experiences and 
ways of doing things for the good of 
Imperial’s stakeholders, specifically our 
clients, people and local communities. 
The committee intends to ensure that real 
progress is made in understanding, and 
systematically removing, barriers to 
inclusion. As we strive to meet ambitious 
race, gender and other local requirements, 
we also commit to the guiding spirit 
behind the requirements, one which 
envisages a country and a continent where 
all can aspire to leading dignified lives and 
being afforded equitable opportunities. 
The establishment of the Global Women’s 
Forum − a first for the group − is one 
initiative that will drive our gender diversity 
objectives across all group operations. 
We are also pleased to have been 
acknowledged as the top transport and 
logistics company for students to work for 
in the recent South African Graduate 
Employers Association study. 
Current projections show that we will drop 
from a Level 2 BBBEE ranking to Level 4 
against the more stringent dti Codes1. 
Although the Covid-19 crisis has been a 
factor in this deterioration, executives will 
forgo a portion of their short-term 
incentive for not meeting employment 
equity targets notwithstanding a number 
of key black and female management 
appointments during the year. This shows 
that accountability for BBBEE is held at the 
highest level of our business. It is also 
notable that even in the constrained 
circumstance of a lockdown, we 
nevertheless procured goods and services 
worth a little under R7 billion from 50% 
black-owned business, 30% female 
black-owned business and smaller 
qualifying businesses. 
Throughout Africa there is a drive for 
advancement and development. Imperial 
welcomes the imperative of local 
beneficiation targets and the desire of 
African governments to see their people 
engaged in meaningful work. Further, 
Africa’s economy will only thrive when 
more consumers earn more and 
disposable income levels rise. 
1  Department of Trade and Industry’s Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Codes of Good Practice.
Our business model and strategy, and our 
relevance as an organisation with deep 
roots in Africa, is based on this imperative. 
We are able to help our clients and our 
principals meet government policy on 
localisation; and we are able to find a way 
to boost jobs and local innovation, and to 
deliver quality goods to Africa’s people as 
they become more affluent, and to take 
the goods produced on the continent to 
markets elsewhere in the world. 
One example of a critical development 
area for Africa, where we can make a 
significant contribution, is access to quality 
and affordable healthcare. Imperial seeks 
to contribute to creating enabling 
environments, such that Africa begins to 
operate at levels of efficiency and delivery 
that wealthier nations take for granted. 
In Africa, about 40% of medicine costs 
consist of supply chain, distribution and 
other non-core costs. For every percentage 
point we knock off that premium, millions 
of Africans benefit. Our business is 
dedicated to doing just that. We are the 
nexus of a logistics network that includes 
governments, multinational principals, 
regulators and donors; and we are relied 
upon to improve the pricing and the 
reliability of supply of quality medicine 
into Africa. Our ‘One Imperial’ drive to 
streamline and rationalise business 
contributes to lowering costs and 
improving supply. Similarly, our Market 
Access solution allows principals to 
introduce new products to underserved 
markets quickly. Our control towers have 
become part of the healthcare 
infrastructure in certain regions, enabling 
hospitals and other healthcare providers to 
collaborate and operate more efficiently. 
We believe that the most powerful change 
agent for improving the lives of a 
burgeoning continent is innovation, 
bringing goods and services at lower cost 
to millions of people. Resolve, an Imperial 
business, has enjoyed industry recognition 
for rolling out 239 medical stores across 
Malawi in only six months; of which 117 
are powered by off-grid solar photovoltaic 
systems. This is part of its In-a-BoxTM 
innovation that delivers prefabricated 
modular units fitted out for healthcare 
infrastructure. 
Stakeholders increasingly expect 
organisations to participate in a circular 
economy that limits environmental impact, 
contains the waste of resources and uses 
resources efficiently. Successfully 
delivering on our strategy, which prioritises 
people, profit and planet, will help us meet 
these expectations. There is still significant 
scope for improvement in our 
environmental performance and the newly 
developed group-wide climate change 
and environmental sustainability strategy 
framework, approved by the executive and 
SES committees, will drive the integration 
of sustainable environmental practices into 
our everyday operations. 
Our CSI spend is helping Nigerians get 
their sight back, enabling opportunities 
for South African nurses, bringing libraries 
to school children, sharing road safety 
messages with children, and offering 
learnerships to deserving youth. Our 
projects are covered in the social report. 
We thank all our colleagues and partners 
who make the work of the committee 
meaningful and indeed possible, and who 
are helping Imperial to improve the 
destiny we share with Africa and her 
people. 
Roddy Sparks 
Chairman of the SES committee 
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Demonstrate consistently 
ethical business conduct
We are subject to a vast array of legislation across multiple 
jurisdictions and sectors, including that pertaining to product 
responsibility, labour practice, health and safety, environmental 
management and information management. This requires an 
unwavering focus on regulatory compliance and strong 
governance practices.
Link to material themes and issues
Theme
Material issue
Deliver shared value as a 
purpose-driven 
organisation
 
●Deepen legitimacy and 
enhance organisational 
visibility.
Our risks
 
●Reputation: loss of client, employee or stakeholder trust from 
failure to implement the policies, controls and culture to 
ensure ethical business conduct.
 
●Compliance: managing the complex regulatory environment 
and changes across multiple jurisdictions.
Management approach
We choose to do ethical and compliant business even at the cost 
of competitiveness. Our processes are robust, starting with due 
diligence and including regular internal and client audits as well 
as whistle-blowing hotlines for the anonymous reporting of 
unethical incidents. We have zero tolerance for unethical 
behaviour and have the processes in place to discourage, 
identify and prosecute wrongdoings.
Our framework to manage ethics is set out below.
Group code of conduct
The Imperial group code of conduct applies to all employees 
and guides them in meeting our expectation that our business is 
always conducted in accordance with our values, the applicable 
law and professional standards.
The code of conduct considers the 10 principles of the UN 
Global Compact, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 
the eight core work standards of the International Labour 
Organization (ILO), the ILO’s declaration of principles about 
multinational enterprises and social policy (MNE Declaration), 
the OECD principles for multinational enterprises and the 
Responsible Care® Global Charter 4. This ensures we align our 
strategies and operations with universal principals on human 
rights, labour, environmental performance and anti-corruption.
The code of conduct covers conflicts of interest, anti-corruption, 
fair competition, anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism, the 
handling of company assets and data protection and security, 
among other imperatives. It also highlights the importance we 
place on employee health and safety and environmental 
conservation.
  Code of conduct: Imperial website. 
Group anti-bribery and corruption policy
The group anti-bribery and corruption policy promotes the 
appropriate standards and behaviour to prevent bribery, 
corruption and anti-competitive collusive practices in the various 
jurisdictions in which we operate.
Regular internal audits, as well as client audits, confirm that we 
are implementing acceptable anti-bribery and corruption 
practices. No related material concerns were identified during 
the reporting year.
  Anti-bribery and corruption policy: Imperial website.
Human rights
We adhere to the principles embodied in the Universal 
Declaration of Human Rights, the South African Constitution and 
the ILO’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at 
Work. Our human capital policies and procedures protect against 
any discrimination and human rights abuse.
Our assessments indicate that there are no instances of material 
risks relating to freedom of association or collective bargaining, 
child labour, or forced or compulsory labour within Imperial.
Our supply chain
We will not hesitate to terminate agreements and relationships in 
our supply chain that contravene international human rights 
standards. In Market Access, our supplier contracts require 
adherence to ethical practices, but not all suppliers are audited 
as our supplier base largely consists of reputable and well-
established multinational principals and logistics service 
providers. Imres operates a comprehensive set of measurements 
and guidelines for its suppliers and other partners in the supply 
chain to minimise the risk of human rights violations. In Europe, a 
supplier code of conduct holds service providers and 
sub‑contractors to our values and policies. Suppliers and 
employees are screened to ensure the division complies with 
international anti-terrorist financing regulations.
Training
Training and awareness initiatives promote an ethical and 
non-discriminatory culture. Standardised training on the 
anti-bribery and corruption policy is delivered through an 
eLearning tool.
Adopting the highest standards of governance and ethics is a critical aspect of our client 
proposition and ability to secure and maintain partnerships with multinational clients and 
principals as well as attract high-calibre leaders and employees. Our commitment to acting 
with uncompromising honesty and integrity begins with our leaders, who set the correct 
tone from the top, and extends into our business practices, not only as a moral imperative 
but also a commercial one. Our business practices, reputation and commitment to ethics 
have enabled us to acquire business in countries where regulation is underdeveloped and 
governance standards are inconsistent.
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Imperial Logistics INTEGRATED ANNUAL REPORT 2020
Employees also receive training on the Foreign Corrupt Practices 
Act, as many of our international clients are subject to the Act or 
similar legislation. For our employees in the healthcare businesses, 
refresher training is undertaken annually.
In South Africa, senior managers receive training on the 
Competition Act and a guideline on competition law is available 
in Europe.
Whistle-blowing hotlines
We encourage our employees to express their concerns in an 
open and direct manner, and they are required to point out any 
circumstances that might indicate an infringement of laws and 
internal directives. An independent whistle-blowing hotline, 
managed by Deloitte, services most of our operating countries, 
including Europe and China, enabling stakeholders to report 
concerns anonymously. Stakeholders can report concerns in a 
language local to their country. Retaliation against whistle-blowers 
is not tolerated. The group’s SES committee is mandated to 
oversee the management of the hotline and the actions taken.
Regulatory compliance
Group company management teams are responsible for keeping 
abreast of regulatory changes and governance standards that 
pertain to their markets and businesses to ensure our licences are 
maintained. Regular compliance audits are conducted across all 
operations and compliance training is delivered to employees. 
Various tax-related tools and local tax specialists ensure that we 
adhere to tax legislation across multiple African countries.
When acquiring a business, compliance with local and international 
laws and regulations is included in the due diligence process. 
All acquisitions are measured against our compliance standards 
and are subjected to compliance risk assessments.
Our engagements with regulators and memberships in local 
chambers of commerce and similar entities help us identify and 
prepare for upcoming legislation and enable us to contribute to 
policy development. This is key in our healthcare businesses where 
constructive relationships with regulators and governments ensure 
the sustainable supply of quality medicines.
The role of head office is to share compliance learnings and new 
processes across jurisdictions.
2020 review
Group
 
●Of the 41 whistle-blowing reports, five tip-offs concerned Market 
Access and 34 concerned Logistics Africa. One tip-off was 
received for Logistics International and one was a miscellaneous 
report. Of the three alleged corruption reports, one was 
confirmed and the individual concerned dismissed. At the time 
of reporting, all reports had been investigated and closed.
 
●1 359 employees in our African operations successfully 
completed the anti-bribery and corruption training using the 
eLearning tool. Logistics International successfully delivered 
compliance training in F2019 with no additional training 
required in F2020.
 
●No public legal cases regarding corruption were brought against 
Imperial or its employees during the reporting period.
 
●No legal actions are pending or were completed during the 
reporting period regarding anti-competitive behaviour and 
violations of anti-trust and monopoly legislation.
 
●Compliance audits have not identified any material concerns and 
Imperial did not incur any significant fines or non-monetary 
sanctions for regulatory non-compliance.
 
●There were no substantiated complaints or loss of client data.
FTSE4Good Index Series
Anti-corruption
Corporate
governance
■ Imperial 
■ Sub-sector average: transportation services
■ Country average: South Africa
5,0
2,6
4,9
3,9
5,0
4,0
Looking forward
 
●Launch eLearning training on the group’s code of conduct in 
F2021. In Europe, we will improve our compliance training by 
rolling out online training for white and blue-collar workers 
accessible on mobile devices and personal computers.
 
●Extend the online anti-bribery and corruption training to a 
broader audience, including employees at all levels and 
potentially suppliers as part of the onboarding process.
 
●Potential future regulatory changes in Africa could arise to 
protect the local manufacture of pharmaceuticals, particularly 
given the Covid-19 pandemic. We will keep abreast of this 
developing trend.
Key data
2020
2019
2018
Whistle-blowing hotline
Total number of tip-offs registered
41
62
75
By category:
Fraud
5
6
9
Governance
3
2
6
Human resources¹
26
31
46
Enquiry
1
2
1
Other crime
−
−
1
Corruption
3
11
7
Theft
3
6
3
Fleet management irregularities
−
2
1
Procurement irregularities
−
2
1
¹ 	Includes no incidents of alleged discrimination.
GRI indicators
General: 102-12, 102-15, 102-16, 102-17
Economic: 205-3, 206-1
Social: 406-1, 407-1, 408-1, 409-1, 418-1, 419-1
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People and 
culture  
report
Become an employer 
of choice in all markets
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Why redefining our people 
proposition matters
Our culture enables our people to achieve and is the connective 
tissue that binds the group, ultimately determining how things 
are done. It is fundamental to strategic and operational delivery, 
competitive differentiation, ethical conduct, diversity and 
inclusion, collaboration, and innovation and disruption. The 
values survey conducted in F2020 highlighted a need to shift our 
organisational culture to ensure that value is not destroyed by a 
culture misaligned with our people’s values, and a structure that 
does not demonstrate our people’s value to us.
We are cultivating a workforce that embraces ‘One Imperial’ 
thinking − unified by a single purpose-led strategy, and with 
ever-increasing synergy, collaboration and integration in how 
the business is run. The transformation of how we manage our 
people, underpinned by our culture journey, will ensure that we 
grow into ‘One Imperial’ with the right talent to build it, the right 
leadership to guide us and the right organisational architecture 
to support it.
Our people are the most critical enablers of our strategy. They are central to the 
effectiveness of our business transformation and their level of engagement, relevant 
skills and diverse ideas determine the efficiency of our client-focused solutions, 
improved performance and accelerated growth.
In an organisation as large as Imperial, historically comprising 
multiple owner-managed businesses, shifting our culture will take 
time, particularly given the uncertainty created by the Covid-19 
pandemic, the fundamental changes being made to our operating 
model and the critical need to accelerate digitisation and 
innovation − all of which put additional demands on our people 
and require vast amounts of energy. These shifts are, however, all 
interconnected and we are clear on how to achieve success, 
beginning with our leadership and transforming our human 
resources (HR) capabilities to ensure they are consistent with − and 
a powerful catalyst for − the ‘One Imperial’ culture we desire.
With an enabling collaborative culture, ‘One Imperial’ thinking 
and a clearly articulated employee value proposition, we aim to 
strengthen our employer of choice brand in all our markets.
  Our values: page 8.
Implement a 
people strategy 
that clearly 
articulates our 
people 
proposition.
Create the ‘One 
Imperial’ culture, 
with a common 
purpose and set 
of values.
Standardise our 
key HR systems 
and processes.
Ensure employees have 
the right skills and 
capabilities, and 
develop an available 
future fit talent pool 
able to deliver business 
objectives and strategy.
Transform our 
leadership 
diversity and 
organisational 
culture to attract 
diverse talent.
Our focus areas
Covid-19 impact on the workforce
Our focus during the crisis is first and foremost on protecting our people and operations from infection. As the pandemic evolves, the 
continued safety and wellbeing of our employees remains a priority. Our efforts are comprehensively discussed in the ‘Response to 
Covid-19’ section on page 37.
Non-executive board director fees were reduced by 25% from April 2020 to end June 2020, and the group’s executive committee took 
a 25% salary cut over the same period. We paid salaries of around R160 million to operational employees whose services were not 
required during periods of lockdown between March 2020 and June 2020. During the more stringent South African lockdown, 
employees working remotely were only required to take three days of leave and, as a gesture of gratitude, a once-off gratuity was paid 
to all essential workers for their dedication. In Germany, automotive, steel and road workers as well as some employees in shared 
services were put on short-time-work conditions and their pay was subsidised by the government.
Remote and flexible working conditions have become the norm and are likely to remain for the foreseeable future. This requires changes 
to working models and enhanced digital competencies. In addition, the pandemic has caused uncertainty and employees are 
concerned about job security and their physical and mental wellbeing. Significant improvement has been made in employee 
engagement, with the launch of new communications and collaboration channels to reassure employees and maintain their trust and 
motivation. Our people have appreciated the further support measures provided by way of our employee health and wellness initiatives 
and online training on Covid-19, helping them transition to new ways of working.
  Response to Covid-19: page 37.
  Driver fitness and employee health programmes: pages 43 and 44 respectively.
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Business restructures
Retrenchments are viewed as a last resort and take place only after 
other operating costs have been scrutinised and reduced, and 
after consultations have been held with employees and labour 
organisations to find alternative solutions. We also upskill people 
as far as possible, to redeploy them into other positions. However, 
when downsizing is undertaken due to difficult operating 
environments, we follow fair procedures in compliance with 
legislation, collective bargaining agreements and applicable 
company policies.
Covid-19 has necessitated further restructuring and business unit 
consolidation in South Africa to reduce costs and complexity, and 
to right-size the business for a more challenging economic 
environment that is likely to recover slowly. Regrettably, we 
estimate that this will impact around 1 000 roles and have begun a 
Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act retrenchment process in 
the Logistics Africa division. We will also exit underperforming 
businesses and businesses that are not aligned with our growth 
strategy, impacting the employees working in these operations.
The ambient business within the consumer packaged goods (CPG) 
division ceased trading at the end of September 2019 and we 
sold the Cold business to Vector Logistics in November 2019. We 
retained over 1 800 employees (excluding staff in the Cold 
business). These employees were accommodated mainly in the 
Dedicated Contracts and Health Sciences businesses.
Link to material themes and issues
Theme
 Material issue
Strategic growth 
underpinned by effective 
capital management 
 
●Focus, unify and transform to drive organic and acquisitive growth.
Alignment of culture and 
people to our purpose-led 
strategy
 
●Drive a purpose-led ‘One Imperial’ culture and accelerate investment in our people and 
organisational capabilities.
Invest in and transform 
structure and processes to 
achieve our strategy
 
●Invest in aligning, integrating and optimising systems and practices to support sustainable 
performance.
Change management
Implementing effective and efficient change management 
processes to assist our people to adapt to the culture journey and 
growth strategy without creating uncertainty and demotivation. 
This is particularly true of older generations who are 
typically resistant to change.
Attracting and retaining skills
Increased competition for skills in a tough economic environment 
and scarcity of critical skills sets, including digitisation and 
innovation expertise, needed to ensure we are future fit and  
able to deliver on the Imperial strategy. Leadership diversity  
        and organisational culture are critical factors that impact  
  an organisation’s ability to attract and retain talent.
Compliance with labour legislation
Keeping up to date and complying with labour legislation  
and practices across multiple jurisdictions.
Industrial unrest
          Failure to build strong relationships with organised labour 
and to effectively address employee concerns, leading to 
potential work stoppages.
Our  
risks
Materiality boundary
Market 
Access
Logistics 
Africa
Logistics 
International
‘One Imperial’ culture
■
■
■
People strategy
■
■
■
Talent management
■
■
■
Diversity and inclusion
■
■
■
Relationship to strategy
	• Operate as ‘One Imperial’.
	• Our people are our greatest asset.
GRI indicators
General: 102-8, 102-15, 102-41, 102-44 
Economic: 202-2
Social: 401-1, 404-2, 405-1
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Performance  
overview
Highlights
Culture
 
●Developed a culture change strategy, which includes a new set 
of values for Imperial, six clearly defined leadership behaviours 
and a revised people strategy focused on aligning HR 
processes and systems to the ‘One Imperial’ culture. 
Leadership development
 
●Started the development of a future fit and purpose-led 
leadership development framework aligned with the Imperial 
values and desired leadership behaviours.
 
●Started assessing leaders for their current and future capability 
potential and their fit with our strategy and values. This will 
inform our succession planning for critical roles.
 
●414 women participated in the Women’s Development 
Programme, which develops self-mastery and resilience to 
change (F2019: 220).
 
●Delivered programmes to equip our leaders and managers 
with the skills to lead their teams through the new ways of 
working rapidly introduced to respond to Covid-19. 
Diversity and inclusion
 
●Made a number of key black and female management 
appointments in South Africa.
 
●2 513 women in South Africa benefitted from development 
programmes.
 
●Conducted a diversity, inclusion and equality survey in Kenya.
 
●Formally constituted the Global Women’s Forum, tasked with 
ensuring that gender equality and women’s empowerment are 
prioritised across all operations and regions.
 
●Imperial is a key contributor to a learning programme that is 
equipping 297 learners with skills in the fields of business 
administration, wholesale, retail, freight management and 
coding.
 
●Ranked second in the Women Empowerment in the Workplace 
category of the 2020 Business Engage Awards.
Employee experience
 
●Developing a technology platform that will broaden our 
communication coverage, promoting inclusivity, collaboration 
and knowledge sharing across geographies.
 
●Adopted a job grading system, which will correct job grade 
anomalies and drive competitive salaries.
 
●10 343 employees in South Africa participated in a 
development programme.
 
●Piloted an easily accessible digital learning solution in our 
African operations.
 
●Recognised as the top transport and logistics company for 
students to work for in the recent South African Graduate 
Employers Association study. This bears testament to the 
success of our revamped graduate programme and our 
increased brand visibility and positioning. 
WINNER
2020
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE
TRANSPORT &
LOGISTICS
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE
TRANSPORT &
LOGISTICS
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Group
Every day our 25 2321 
people in 26 countries
impact the lives of millions 
of people
Gender diversity (group)
12%
women representation  
at top management
(F2019: 17%)
14%
women representation 
at senior management2
(F2019: 27%)
24%
women representation overall
(F2019: 24%)
Black representation  
(South Africa)
At top management 
42% against a  
2020 target of 63%
with 16% being black women  
(F2019: 47% overall and 20% 
black women)
At senior management 
32% against a  
2020 target of 33%
with 16% being black women  
(F2019: 28% overall and 10% 
black women)
At middle management 
45% against a  
2020 target of 45%
with 17% being black women  
(F2019: 43% overall and 16% 
black women)
Training (group)
R128 million
training spend
(F2019: R192 million)
Training hours delivered (group) 
893 682 hours
with 99% of hours benefitting 
South African employees
(F2019: 628 228 hours)
Employee learnerships  
(South Africa)
633 employees
registered for a learnership
(F2019: 627 employees) 
Tertiary learning (South Africa)
523 employees
registered for tertiary qualifications
(F2019: 481 employees)
Graduate programme (South Africa)
52 participants
of whom 85% are black students and 
71% are women
(F2019: 38 graduates)
Black appointments (South Africa)
91%
of appointments made in the year went 
to black candidates. At management 
level this equated to 58% 
(F2019: 89%)
90%
of internal promotions went to 
black employees
¹ Continuing operations excluding CPG and 
shipping.
2 Female representation in F2020 was impacted 
by the closure of the CPG business.
Key performance indicators
Note: graph reflects the number of employees 
at end June 2020.
● Market Access (3 286 employees)
● Logistics Africa (13 264 employees)
● Logistics International (9 651 employees)
2020
12%
51%
37%
  Detailed data table: page 30.
21
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Our people  
strategy
Our people strategy has been revised to support our operational and strategic 
transformation and enhance our ability to attract and retain the best talent and skills. Key 
outcomes will be progressing the ‘One Imperial’ culture journey, a consistent ‘One Imperial’ 
employee experience, the ability to place the right talent in the right places in the right jobs 
and the development of an organisation development practice. 
A key aspect of the people strategy is to transform the HR function from a focus on transactional HR services to the delivery of strategic 
transformational HR services that support business growth. We will measure the success of the people strategy using employee turnover, 
internal and external employee value proposition measures, and employee engagement.
Pillars of our people strategy
Performance and 
talent management
Leadership and 
learning
Diversity and 
inclusion
Organisational 
effectiveness
Culture journey
Supporting business 
performance by 
providing an 
integrated framework 
that aligns business 
strategy with team and 
individual goals and 
performance 
outcomes.
Supporting employee 
productivity by 
ensuring employees 
have the right skills 
and capabilities, 
leveraging a pool of 
future fit talent to 
execute on business 
processes.
Driving a diverse and 
inclusive workforce, 
particularly in the 
talent pipeline, to 
unlock the value of 
inclusive interactions, 
and diversity of world 
view and industry 
experience.
Enabling the business 
to operate in a simple 
and collaborative 
manner, through 
systematic organisation 
development including 
organisation design, 
effectiveness and 
change management.
Enabling a ‘One 
Imperial’ culture with a 
shared purpose and set 
of values, connecting 
employees with each 
other and the 
communities in which 
we operate, and which 
embraces the richness 
of our diverse 
sub‑cultures.
Enablers of the strategy
Accessible HR information 
and systems
Line manager  
capability
Business leader  
sponsorship
Standardisation of key HR 
systems and processes
Management approach
Each group company has a people strategy managed and 
overseen by their head of HR. The effectiveness of these 
strategies is reviewed twice a year by executive teams and 
senior management. Divisional people strategies are 
aligned to the group’s people strategy and are being 
restructured to accommodate the changes being 
implemented at group level.
22
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Create a  
‘One Imperial’ culture
Why this matters
Productivity
Culture
Leadership
Happy individuals are 13% more 
productive1.
A strong positive culture can enhance employee 
engagement by 30%, resulting in potential 
increases of up to 19% in operating income and 
28% in earnings growth2.
68% of leaders feel they create empowering 
environments but only 36% of employees 
agree3.
Feedback received in the values survey (20% response rate4) indicates that there is a mismatch between respondents’ personal values, their 
experience of current organisational values and their desired values for the business. Our culture was described as numbers focused, siloed, 
short term and transactional. In addition, our entrepreneurial origins and acquisitions have left us with a legacy of non-standardised HR 
platforms, processes and practices
To achieve our desired strategic and operational transformation, we must create a shared system of beliefs and values − a ‘One Imperial’ 
culture. The culture journey will be established by our leaders, with a clear purpose statement and shared values, and will be cascaded 
throughout the organisation to shape employee behaviours and understanding. Our systems, structures and processes are also being 
restructured to support our desired culture change.
Flattening our structures, empowering employees to make decisions and be responsive − and providing exciting career paths for our 
people with an attractive employee value proposition − are just some of the initiatives we are undertaking to create a culture in which 
people are inspired to service our clients, principals and customers (collectively referred to as clients) and create positive change in the 
industries and economies in which we operate.
Culture change strategy
Values
Our new values are designed to revitalise our organisation and inspire and unite our people, creating a sense of 
meaning and belonging. They are the foundation of our culture journey and we intend to live and be measured 
by them.
  Our values: page 8.
Leadership
We have defined the following leadership behaviours and attributes to drive culture change.
The Imperial leader
Connects individuals to the ‘One 
Imperial’ purpose.
Enables a safe environment which 
fosters risk-taking, vulnerability and 
innovation.
Acknowledges efforts, rewards 
contributions and has meaningful 
conversations.
Authentically cares about 
individuals and encourages others 
to do the same.
Fosters an environment that 
encourages collaboration and 
inclusivity.
Drives performance through a 
growth mindset, clear output and 
value creation.
We are developing a leadership development model to align, educate and coach leaders to lead and execute the 
transformation of our business and culture. The model aims to ensure our leadership team is caring and 
characterised by strategic business agility and capability, improved engagement capability to lead people through 
change, and driven to create value for all stakeholders. This will form the foundation of our revised people strategy, 
permeating the way we recruit, onboard, manage performance, develop talent and reward our people.
Change 
management
A group-wide change management programme communicates the shared purpose, values and associated 
behaviours to inspire employees and elicit their buy-in to our strategic transformation and culture change journey. 
Our change management processes are being executed methodically and sensitively, with oversight and support 
provided centrally to leaders tasked with driving these processes within their businesses.
Core HR systems 
and processes 
Our revised people strategy focuses on transforming our HR processes to deliver consistent and calibrated 
approaches to performance and talent management, and the consistent application of equitable compensation 
and reward practices underpinned by one HR information management system (see page 25).
Organisation 
design
The redesign of our organisational structure and operating model to enable ‘One Imperial’ will remove duplication 
of effort, standardise practices to achieve efficiencies, remove hierarchy, enhance employee experience and 
provide meaningful career paths.
1 	Source: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3470734.
2 	Source: Adkins, A. (2016). U.S. employee engagement reaches new high in March.
3 	Source: https://www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/Thought-Leadership-Assets/PDF-2/Accenture-Getting-To-Equal-2020-Research-Report.pdf.
4 	Considered acceptable under the difficult circumstances presented by Covid-19. 
23
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Create a  
‘One Imperial’ culture continued
Key challenge and initiatives
Operation: group
Challenge: lack of effective communication across the group.
A brand concept, to be rolled out in September 2020, will 
communicate the following intentions to employees:
 
●A singular vision led by the CEO and driven by each individual.
 
●That our people are an integral part of the group’s success.
 
●The extent of Imperial’s experience and resources to enable 
the African expansion strategy − together, we go Beyond 
Possibility.
In addition, we will pilot a single communication and 
engagement technology platform that will broaden our 
communication coverage, promoting inclusivity, collaboration 
and knowledge sharing across geographies. Accessible by 
personal computer and through mobile phones, the platform will 
provide easy and quick access to the group’s policies, and 
information and news on the strategy, culture journey and the 
group’s ESG activities. It will also provide employees with the 
opportunity to connect with one another to share ideas and best 
practice. The pilot will start in October 2020 and will cover all job 
levels, reaching 1 600 desktop users and 400 non-desktop users.
Logistics International’s industrial business introduced a platform 
where employees can share ideas to achieve efficiencies or 
improve the effectiveness of processes, including on health and 
safety issues. Employees earn credit points for ideas submitted 
that lead to initiatives, entitling them to benefits.
2020 review
 
●Established a transformation office to co-ordinate and guide 
the implementation of strategic initiatives to transform Imperial 
and lead the change journey.
Looking forward
 
●Launch the leadership development model in the first half of 
F2021. Leadership development will be delivered at all 
managerial levels.
 
●Continue to implement the group-wide communication and 
change management plans to embed the new organisational 
values.
 
●Reward and recognise employees living the values to reinforce 
behaviours and sustain the change.
 
●Adopt a people-centric approach when considering the use of 
technology to automate processes and drive efficiencies.
24
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Standardised HR systems 
and processes
Why this matters
A genuine employee value proposition requires us to have a 
consistent approach to the employee experience throughout our 
different businesses and across the employee lifecycle. As we 
mature our HR management framework, the group will be better 
positioned to quickly respond to human capital priorities and risks, 
and make informed decisions based on accurate information. 
A mature framework will also mean that we are better able to 
integrate future acquisitions.
Key challenge and initiatives
Operation: group
Challenge: manual HR transactions and data management 
processes result in a heavy administrative burden for the HR 
function at the cost of transformational work and skills and 
leadership development. It also hinders data management 
processes and perpetuates inconsistent HR practices across 
the group.
We are implementing a minimum set of standards for HR processes 
to support business performance and productivity.
A group-wide HR information management system has been 
approved, which will add tangible business value by enabling 
people data analytics in real time and will provide customised 
talent offerings, improved talent management and enhanced 
HR processes, ultimately improving the employee experience. 
In addition, the system will achieve efficiencies in workforce 
planning and HR administration, reducing staff costs, and it will 
improve the governance of our people data.
2020 review
 
●Enhanced collaboration and sharing of best practice between 
the divisional HR teams.
 
●Adopted the Paterson grading system, which grades jobs based 
on their level of complexity, decision making and the skills 
required. The system will correct job grade anomalies across our 
businesses and drive competitive salaries. The grading system is 
being rolled out with pay scales benchmarked to local markets.
 
●Finalised the group remuneration strategy and policy, job 
evaluation policy and the short-term incentive scheme. The new 
remuneration framework aligns reward and incentives to the 
achievement of the group’s new strategy.
 
●Continued to link job profiles to learning and development 
interventions to develop standardised career paths for our 
businesses in other African markets. The project is progressing 
well.
 
●Implementing a new SAP solution with an organisational 
management module to improve data quality and reliability, and 
achieve a more transparent and standardised data architecture 
for Logistics International. The system will provide the foundation 
for an integrated talent management approach and integration 
with the group-wide HR information management system.
 
●Logistics International continued to develop the quality of central 
HR services (administration, payroll, recruitment and HR 
solutions) to provide improved transactional people services and 
to build value-adding partnerships with business.
Looking forward
 
●Start the HR system implementation in Market Access and 
Logistics Africa. Further preparation is needed before 
implementation can begin in Logistics International. Over the 
next three years, we will also upgrade and consolidate our 
payroll systems.
 
●Uplift our strategic HR capability to build centres of excellence at 
group level for compensation, talent management, organisation 
development and leadership development. This will ultimately 
create the organisational architecture needed to drive an 
engaged workforce able to deliver optimal performance.
 
●Deliver a consistent performance management approach to 
identify and calibrate high performers across the group. Strategic 
goals will be cascaded using an aligned goal setting process 
followed by a consistent methodology for assessing and 
managing performance across business units, teams and 
individuals. Performance will be measured on productivity as well 
as values and culture output.
 
●Roll out the job grading methodology across the group in the 
third quarter of F2021.
 
●Establish a job evaluation committee in each division to evaluate 
all new hires for selected job bands.
 
●Develop a consistent and calibrated approach to talent 
management, recruiting for both values and skill, and measure 
and develop talent in line with the leadership development 
model.
 
●Launch an Imperial global website career portal.
Organised labour1
Stakeholder engagement
Key employee and labour organisation concerns: 
organisational change, income and job security, process 
automation, minimum wages and salaries.
We maintain strong relationships with labour unions to ensure we 
understand and address employee concerns, particularly during 
times when restructures are necessary.
20% (F2019: 34%) of employees in South Africa belong to the 
National Bargaining Council for the Road Freight and Logistics 
Industry (NBCRFLI). Last year we secured a three-year wage 
settlement with the NBCRFLI, providing some security against 
labour disruptions for most of our operations in South Africa. 
Regular shop floor meetings take place with all recognised unions.
In Germany, 68% (F2019: 69%) of employees (automotive and 
steel-related operations) are covered by collective bargaining 
agreements with the industrial union of metalworkers, IG Metall. 
We are working with our German peers to develop a more 
standardised collective bargaining framework, which offers industry 
workers similar working conditions, however, legal restrictions curb 
the potential to standardise agreements, which in turn, impacts our 
ability to automate some HR services.
Effective employee grievance mechanisms are in place across the 
group and comply with relevant local legislation.
1 	Union membership is uncommon in other African markets.
25
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Effective talent management 
and learning and development
Why this matters
Talent and skill
Age1
Core to any successful strategy 
is a well-equipped, talented 
and skilled workforce.
Approximately 37% of our 
workforce is between the ages 
of 41 and 55 and 10% are 
older than 56. The average 
age is 38.
Learning and development are critical drivers of improvement, 
innovation and growth. In addition, the skills needed by the 
healthcare businesses are vastly different to the skills required by 
the automotive business. We must therefore develop the depth 
of highly specialised logistics, industry and people skills needed 
to meet our current and future business needs, as well as the 
current and future needs of our clients. Learning and 
development are also important tools for embedding our 
desired culture.
Talent management is a development area for the group. 
Our goal is to establish a consistent approach that effectively 
identifies internal and external talent, provides our employees 
with growth opportunities and clear career paths, and attracts 
and develops skilled young talent with diverse backgrounds and 
industry know-how.
The first step towards achieving our goal is a group-wide 
assessment of the top three management levels, which will 
inform our succession planning for critical roles. Supported by 
the new HR information management system, the new Imperial 
Talent Management Way will provide us with a clearer view of the 
skills we have in the organisation and where talent can make the 
greatest impact in the group, also providing employees with 
mobility opportunities. In addition, we will be better able to 
understand the aspirations of our people and work with them 
throughout the job cycle from recruitment to career management 
and ultimately exit.
Management approach
Our learning and development programmes range from 
leadership development and facilitating workplace entry, to 
tertiary education support and industry collaboration and 
research. The Imperial Learning Academy designs and delivers 
learning and development programmes for the group and 
African group companies. Programmes are designed to support 
business needs, deliver customised client solutions and advance 
personal growth, as well as drive innovation and diversity. 
Development is structured around on-the-job learning, coaching 
and classroom or online learning in a 70:20:10 ratio approach.
Stakeholder engagement
Key employee concerns: working environment supportive of 
personal and career growth, investment in training and skills 
development, adapting to new ways of working.
Key client concerns: appropriate and future fit skills and 
workforce.
Key challenges and initiatives
Operation: group
Challenges: our lack of standardised recruitment, onboarding, 
performance management and development processes 
impedes our ability to identify potential talent within the 
organisation and puts proper succession at risk, particularly for 
specialist or technical roles that are filled by an aging 
workforce. In addition, we must adjust our working models to 
attract younger generations who want to identify with the 
culture of an organisation, value organisations that provide 
clear career development and paths, and are attracted to 
technologically advanced and innovative organisations.
We will increase our investment in developing younger people 
to gain depth and diversity in our talent pipeline. Accelerated 
training, coaching and mentoring are used to fast track junior 
employees working in technical and specialist roles.
Building a talent pipeline
In our African operations, talented employees can apply for study 
assistance and bursary schemes for tertiary education 
programmes that support the competencies required by the 
group. In Logistics International, coaching is provided to newly 
promoted managers and leaders wanting to improve their 
leadership capability and grants are offered to certain employees 
wanting to study part time.
In South Africa, we partner with industry and professional bodies 
to develop and prepare young people for current and future 
opportunities. 
Youth Development Programme
A 24-month rotational Future Fit Associates Graduate 
Programme, targeting qualified logistics, financial 
management, industrial engineering, data science and 
business development students. Graduates complete a 
structured internship, attend a management development 
programme and receive mentoring.
12 and 24-month learnerships, apprenticeships 
and internships, which provide work experience, training 
and mentorship in various disciplines, enhancing the skills 
of our employees and the employability of unemployed 
learners in the sector.
Bursaries for the children of Imperial employees.
1 	Data available for 53% of the workforce, excluding Logistics International.
26
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

2020 review
Group
 
●Assessed leaders for their current and future capability potential 
and their personality preferences in the workplace to ensure the 
right fit with our strategy and values. The assessments for 
Logistics Africa and head office are complete and indicate that 
we must focus on leadership development, accelerate the 
progress of our top performers (19% of those assessed) into 
meaningful roles, and that there is a critical need to fast track 
black talent into these top management levels. Assessment 
feedback will be provided to managers and individual 
development plans agreed with those identified as high-
performance talent.
Africa
 
●Increased collaboration with group company leaders, HR 
directors and employees as well as with industry associations 
and experts to gain more robust insight when developing the 
workplace skills plan matrix. This ensures that development and 
learning aligns to business strategy and that we provide a holistic 
experiential approach to development that enables all-rounder 
capability. The collaboration will also assist the Learning 
Academy to source, design and develop impactful and 
purposeful formal and informal training programmes that 
support the culture journey and organisational transformation, 
and build workforce resilience to change, challenges and 
disruption.
 
●Introduced a new programme to embed a culture of operational 
excellence in road freight management and contract logistics. 
The success of the pilot has resulted in further roll out of the 
programme to other business areas.
 
●414 women participated in the Women’s Development 
Programme, which develops self-mastery (F2019: 220). In total 
25 participants will start the Executive Development Programme, 
which develops strategic business agility, in March 2021. The 
programme has been delayed due to Covid-19.
 
●Investigating a leadership development programme to address 
skills gaps at senior and middle management levels in the 
Market Access division, with the Strathmore University in Kenya 
identified as a possible partner.
 
●71% of the participants in the redesigned graduate programme 
(South Africa) are women. Of the 2020 intake, 65% of the 
30 graduates are women, narrowly missing our F2019 reported 
target of 67%.
 
●10 343 employees in South Africa participated in a development 
programme:
	
◆523 are enrolled in university courses, 112 being women.
	
◆633 are participating in an Imperial Learning Academy 
learnership, 228 being women.
	
◆4 513 attended short learning programmes, 984 being women
	
◆4 674 registered for online programmes, 1 189 being women.
 
●Rolled out free online learning programmes. Courses aim to 
build mental strength and resilience during Covid-19 to assist 
managers and employees to remain connected and productive. 
Focus areas are wellness (ergonomics, managing through the 
pandemic, working from home and work-life balance) and 
leadership development (leading at a distance, managing virtual 
teams and leading virtual meetings). Other online programmes 
centre on technical and behaviour readiness programmes to 
ensure employees are future fit as well as deliver training on 
anti-bribery and corruption, ethics and client centricity. The 
eLearning platform was extensively used by employees in African 
markets beyond South Africa during the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
●R7,3 million invested in the Thabang Fund to date (started in 
2017). The fund is used to develop black semi-skilled and 
unskilled employees in South Africa and their children. In total 
1 450 employees and their children have benefitted since 2017.
 
●R1,7 million invested in the education of 88 students 
participating in the family bursary schemes, which award 
bursaries to the children and legal dependants of our employees 
based in South Africa. R4,7 million has been set aside for these 
programmes to 2023.
 
●158 employees, impacted by retrenchment, participated in a 
reskilling programme to repackage and refresh their skills.
 
●Training spend in South Africa decreased 38% due to Covid-19 
restrictions on face-to-face training and budget constraints. 
However, we still achieved the 1% required by the Skills 
Development Act. Most of the Market Access division’s training 
was planned for the second half of the financial year and has 
been severely impacted by Covid-19.
Logistics International
 
●Evaluating a new training service provider to deliver training 
content and track mandatory training data (for example 
regulatory compliance), which will link to the integrated talent 
management framework once it is developed, enabling the 
easier identification of multiple potential successors. This, 
together with the leadership assessments, will provide a more 
standardised talent management process across the division.
 
●Increased our efforts to actively source recruits in IT given that 
these skills are scarce in Europe. Initial results are positive.
 
●Delivered training to leaders and managers on leading their 
teams through Covid-19, including enhancing their ability to 
recognise mental health issues (supported by health and safety 
officials and the company doctor). Leaders and managers were 
also trained on how to prevent the spread of the virus and how 
to manage suspected cases.
 
●Budget restrictions have impacted training investment, resulting 
in a 4% decrease in spend, as well as our eLearning objectives 
reported last year.
  Detailed data table: page 30.
Looking forward
 
●Finalise the management assessments for the Market Access and 
Logistics International divisions.
 
●Ensure clear succession plans are in place for the first two senior 
management levels and all business critical positions across the 
group.
 
●Categorise talent pools into talent segments and identify and 
develop retention interventions per talent segment. This work 
will begin with Logistics Africa and head office.
 
●Develop a people balance sheet measuring the value of our 
people and our plans for strengthening our capability.
 
●Increase our investment in developing new talent to gain depth 
and diversity in our talent pipeline.
 
●Introduce a leadership development programme for operations 
in East and West Africa.
 
●Provide holistic experiential future fit skills training to support the 
shift to digitisation.
 
●Training budgets may continue to be impacted in the short term 
due to global economic pressures.
27
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Diversity  
and inclusion
Why this matters
Competitiveness
Performance
Diverse teams with varied 
experiences, backgrounds and 
styles are better able to 
understand and meet the needs 
of a diverse client base, 
contributing to our relevance in 
markets and improving our 
ability to compete for business.
Gender diverse teams 
outperform others by 25%. 
Companies with both ethnic 
and cultural diversity 
outperform others by 36%1.
The ‘One Imperial’ culture and our new values are the foundation 
for establishing a diverse and inclusive workforce that respects 
differences, and unlocks the value to be gleaned from inclusive 
interactions, and diverse world views and industry experience. 
In South Africa, we acknowledge that we have not moved fast 
enough to align the leadership profile more closely with the 
national demography. Urgent attention continues to be given to 
this priority, with particular focus placed on transforming our 
talent pipeline.
Management approach
Each South African business implements their own employment 
equity plan, which the Transformation department monitors at a 
divisional level. Performance against annual employment equity 
targets is regularly reported at company and divisional chief 
executive level and critical issues are escalated to the group 
social, ethics and sustainability (SES) board committee.
In South Africa, the incentives for executives and managing 
directors are linked to transformation progress. These key 
performance measures remain despite the tougher economic 
environment, as we expect our leaders to develop new 
approaches to meet our targets despite environmental factors. 
All group companies are required to spend 2,7% of their annual 
payroll on developing black employees (direct training and 
overhead costs).
We retain and develop the management teams of acquired 
businesses in Africa to preserve client-centric agility. We 
encourage these teams to employ local talent and programmes 
on tribalism raise awareness on diversity and inclusion. 
Expatriates are only hired to assist with technical issues or in 
critical senior roles where local talent is scarce. Only four senior 
managers working in other African markets are South African 
expatriates.
Stakeholder engagement
Key employee and regulator concerns: development and 
growth opportunities for women and black people and 
employment equity.
In South Africa, there are around 22 employment equity forums 
that meet quarterly to consider transformation matters and 
identify employment equity barriers. Diversity workshops and 
these forums encourage open, honest and sensitive 
conversations among employees. Employee engagement 
surveys at group and company level are used to understand 
concerns related to diversity.
Key challenges and initiatives
Operation: African operations
Challenges: addressing gender and demographic disparities 
requires changes in our work environment to one that is 
inclusive, empowering and based on trust and mutual respect. 
An added challenge in South Africa is our ability to meet 
employment equity targets given a smaller workforce and low 
employee turnover at top and senior management levels, 
exacerbated by the need to right-size some operations and the 
moratorium placed on recruitment during Covid-19. In the rest 
of Africa, scarcity of talent challenges our diversity objectives.
Accelerated talent development, strategic sourcing and targeted 
attraction and retention initiatives are used to create a black 
talent pool for our businesses in South Africa, particularly in key 
specialist and business critical roles, while at the same time 
ensuring that deep industry and institutional knowledge is not 
lost. A job-shadowing initiative for potential black successors to 
leaders who are close to retirement has been implemented in 
some business areas to transfer skills and institutional knowledge 
and nurture candidates into these leadership roles.
Equally important is our commitment to gender diversity and 
transforming Imperial to accommodate women. Our graduate 
programme in South Africa serves as a pipeline of female 
successors. Pleasingly, female talent entering the South African 
operation is increasing and good progress was made during the 
year to recruit and promote women.
2020 review
South Africa
 
●Made a number of key black and female management 
appointments in South Africa, including at the group executive 
level and executive and senior management level of the South 
Africa operation. While black representation at top 
management level declined 5%, it improved at senior and 
middle management levels by 4% and 2% respectively.
 
●Regrettably, business restructures have meant that our 
employment equity target for top management level was 
missed and the senior management level target was marginally 
missed by 1%. Our targets for middle and junior management 
levels were met. The group employment equity plan is under 
review and the changes are being communicated to the 
consultative forums and employees. The new plan will be 
finalised at the end of August 2020.
 
●16% of senior managers in South Africa are black women, 
achieving our F2020 target of 13%.
 
●85% of training spend in South Africa was used to develop 
black employees (F2019: 92%).
 
●Contributed to a learnership for differently abled people. The 
programme is equipping 297 learners with skills in the fields of 
business administration, wholesale, retail, freight management 
and coding. In December 2019, 192 graduates celebrated the 
successful culmination of their hard work.
 
●Implemented a number of formal and informal development 
initiatives and the global and regional women’s forums to uplift 
and empower women. 2 513 women across multiple work 
levels benefitted from a development programme.
1  Source: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-
inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters#.
28
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

●Launched a gender diversity campaign to coincide with women’s 
month to promote Imperial as an employer of choice. The 
campaign showcases Imperial’s female leaders, sharing their 
stories, successes, challenges and motivational advice.
Market Access
 
●Conducting a diversity, inclusion and equality survey in Kenya. 
Once complete, remedial actions will be implemented to 
address identified gaps or concerns.
 
●There are no women in top management, and female 
representation at senior, middle and junior management level 
was 8%, 31% and 38% respectively.
  Detailed data table: page 30.
Looking forward
Group
 
●Develop a group-wide diversity plan that will encourage 
employees to discuss and share cultural values and practices.
 
●Leverage the women’s forums to drive the accommodation of 
women in a male-dominated environment and prioritise gender 
balance in the talent pipeline for future leadership positions that 
become available.
 
●Conduct diversity, inclusion and equality surveys beyond Kenya 
and increase diversity awareness in the Market Access division.
South Africa
 
●Continue to ensure that black employees are adequately 
represented in all occupational levels, but particularly at 
management levels.
 
●Retain top performing black employees, and maintain a new 
appointment ratio of 70% black people and an internal 
promotions ratio of 50% black candidates.
 
●Maintain 70% black representation and 50% women 
representation on the annual graduate programme intake as a 
pipeline for management positions.
Our story
Driving gender diversity
The Global Women’s Forum 
(GWF) aims to create an 
enabling culture for the women 
of Imperial, and provides a 
platform for networking across 
the group.
The GWF was officially constituted on 3 October 2019 with group chairman, Phumzile Langeni, 
as a guest speaker at the inaugural meeting. The forum is one of the initiatives implemented 
within Imperial to ensure that gender equality and women’s empowerment are prioritised across 
the group.
The GWF promotes development and advancement opportunities for women, focusing on 
mentoring and training, graduate programmes, ensuring gender parity when promoting and 
appointing external candidates, and setting targets for women in senior leadership roles.
The GWF meets quarterly and reports on key issues to the group executive committee and SES 
committee. The regional operations participate in the forum and implement the forum’s 
initiatives.
Most group companies have approved budgets ring-fenced to develop and mentor women. 
Focus is also being placed on dedicated facilities for women, including rooms to express 
breastmilk for new mothers and separate dedicated changing rooms and bathrooms for female  
drivers. Another critical focus is ensuring a safe work environment for women, particularly  
those working night shifts.
29
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Key data
2020
2019
2018
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
Total number of employees at June (group)
26 201
27 463
29 944
Regional breakdown
Market Access (%)
12
11
11
Logistics Africa (%)
51
56
59
Logistics International (%)
37
33
30
VOLUNTARY TURNOVER RATE
Market Access (%)
8
▼
12
−
Logistics Africa (%)
2
▼
21
−
Logistics International (%)
16
▼
18
−
WOMEN REPRESENTATION (GROUP)
Overall (%)
24
■
24
24
Top management (%)
12
▼
17
16
Senior management (%)
14
▼
27
12
Middle management (%)
32
▲
31
32
Junior management (%)
29
▲
26
26
EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATION (EMPLOYEES COVERED BY 
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS)
South Africa − NBCRFLI representation (%)
20
34
39
Germany (%)
68
69
66
TRAINING¹
Market Access 
Training and development spend (R)
423 4532*
▼
2 733 092
52 488
Average training and development spend per employee (R)
129
▼
885
17
Number of training hours
3 1132*
▲
2 824
3 843
Average training hours per employee
1,0
▲
0,9
1,2
Logistics Africa 
Training and development spend (Rm)
99,12*
▼
159,7
135,1
Average training and development spend per employee (R)
7 471
▼
10 503
7 582
Number of training hours
887 9662*
▲
622 692
435 020
Average training hours per employee
66,9
▲
40,9
24,4
Employees registered for tertiary qualifications 
523
▲
481
360
Employees registered for a learnership
633
▲
627
237
Participants in the graduate programme
52
▲
38
68
Percentage of graduates that are black (%)
85
▲
63
88
Percentage of graduates that are women (%)3
71
−
−
Logistics International 
Training and development spend (Rm)
28,72*
▼
29,9
31,2
Average training and development spend per employee (R)
2 974
▼
3 257
3 472
Number of training hours4
2 603*
▼
2 712
5 199
UNEMPLOYED LEARNERS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Learners registered for a learnership, apprenticeship or internship 
174
▼
559
701
Percentage of learners who are black (%)
91
▼
97
98
Percentage of learners who are black women (%)
42
▼
52
−
Percentage of learners who are differently abled (%)
46
▲
43
−
Note: some metrics for 2018 are not available as these were calculated for Imperial Holdings prior to unbundling.
¹	 There is no direct link between training spend and training hours, as training hours includes training delivered by our principals.
² 	Most planned training is generally undertaken in the second half of the financial year. The impact of Covid-19 lockdowns and social distancing 
requirements have impacted face-to-face classroom training. In addition, we have also moved to online training, which was provided to group companies 
across Africa free of charge.
3	 Reported for the first time.
4	 Total number of training hours delivered to all employees is not currently recorded centrally, however, once the new learning management system is 
implemented the scope of this metric will be expanded.
Key
■	Satisfied with performance.
■	Area for improvement.
*	Assured (see the independent limited assurance report).
30
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

EMPLOYMENT EQUITY (SOUTH AFRICA)
Men
Women
Foreign
nationals
Black representation
Occupational levels
Black
White
Black
White
Total
2020 
actual
(%)
2020 
target
 (%)
Top management 
5
11
3
−
−
19
42
63
Senior management
13
42
12
9
1
77
32
33
Middle management
272
325
163
194
10
964
45
45
Junior management
1 016
257
529
196
19
2 017
77
77
Semi-skilled
6 247
116
1 205
195
63
7 826
95
95
Unskilled
1 936
10
645
1
33
2 625
98
98
Non-permanent 
33
4
17
1
−
55
91
Total employees
9 522
765
2 574
596
126
13 583
89
Differently abled people
54
12
42
1
10
119
81
45
Note: the Imperial scorecard covers all South African operations, including employees in South Africa who work for the Market Access division.
31
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

COPY TO BE 
SUPPLIED
3
Section
32
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

COPY TO BE 
SUPPLIED
Social 
report
Support relevant 
 social imperatives
33
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Why supporting relevant 
social imperatives matters
While always a priority for the group and our clients, principals 
and customers (collectively referred to as clients), the emergence 
of Covid-19 tested our safety practices and quality control 
measures. We have extensive experience in transporting and 
warehousing a diverse array of products, ranging from fuel and 
chemicals to food, alcohol and medication, all of which require 
robust safety controls to protect our employees and consumers. 
Our expertise allowed us to quickly adapt our practices to 
Covid-19 has revealed and confirmed to us that why we exist, what we do, and how we 
do it matter − more so than ever before. In these extraordinarily challenging times, our 
25 2321 people are demonstrating that we are more than a business that strives for 
sustainable revenue and targeted returns for our shareholders. We make a real difference 
to people’s lives and play a key role in the development of Africa and its people by 
facilitating access to quality products and services, including food, fuel, medicine, and many 
other products that improve the quality of everyday life. The implications of our strategy, 
social responsibility and sustainability for Africa’s wellbeing are substantial.
GRI indicators
General: 102-9, 102-12, 102-15, 102-44
Economic: 203-1, 203-2, 204-1
Social: 403-2, 403-3, 413-1, 413-2, 416-2
Link to material themes and issues
Theme
 Material issue
Deliver shared value 
as a purpose-driven 
organisation
 
●Deepen legitimacy and enhance 
organisational visibility.
Relationship to strategy
	• Our people are our greatest asset.
	• Integrating ESG practices.
safeguard our employees, stakeholders and businesses during 
this unprecedented time.
Beyond our day-to-day operations, the initiatives in which we 
invest and actively participate, are chosen based on their ability 
to tangibly impact access to healthcare and better education, 
drive diversity as well as community and sports development and 
raise road safety awareness, producing sustainable benefits for 
those in our regions of operation.
Protect our people, 
operations, clients 
and suppliers from 
Covid-19 infections.
Enforce 
defensible 
health and 
safety practices.
Support access 
to affordable 
quality 
healthcare 
in Africa.
Improve our 
transformation 
credentials in 
South Africa.
Strengthen the 
communities in 
which we live 
and work.
Our focus areas
Raise road 
safety 
awareness in 
South Africa.
Materiality boundary
Market 
Access
Logistics 
Africa
Logistics 
International
Covid-19 management
■
■
■
Road transportation
■
■
Health and safety
■
■
■
Access to healthcare
■
■
Black economic 
empowerment 
■
Corporate social 
investment (CSI)
■
■
■
Road safety awareness
■
1 	Continuing operations excluding consumer packaged goods and 
European shipping.
Socioeconomic
Violent protests and civil unrest arising out of a challenging 
economic environment, and in South Africa, poor service delivery, 
exacerbated by the job losses, job scarcity and diminished 
disposable spend brought about by Covid-19.
Reputation
Loss of credibility from failure to meet client expectations, failure 
to meet product quality and safety requirements and failure to  
	
implement controls to prevent the spread of Covid-19.  
	
Accidents caused by Imperial drivers or our sub-
contractors also impact our reputation.
Safety and compliance
Long-distance driving, operating forklifts and working at  
heights are high-risk activities. This year, the impact of Covid-19 on 
the health of the workforce (high rates of absenteeism) is an added 
risk, particularly employees who are vulnerable to Covid-19, as is 
driver fatigue from the added pressures arising out of the 
pandemic. Failure to manage health and safety risks effectively can 
result in major incidents, fatalities and increased costs.
Transformation
Exclusion from participating in new tenders and contract 
renewals due to failure to increase black ownership of our 
South African operations, and lagging behind our competitors 
and clients in terms of employment equity at senior 
management levels.
Our  
risks
34
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

35
Performance  
overview
Highlights
Resilience and agility
 
●Quickly mobilised our operations to protect our people, 
businesses, clients and suppliers from Covid-19 infections while 
maintaining high-service levels for our clients, despite supply 
chain interruptions caused by lockdowns.
Covid-19 support (South Africa)
 
●R10,5 million donated to various initiatives to help communities 
and small businesses impacted by the Covid-19 crisis.
 
●Sourced and delivered thousands of cubic metres of personal 
protective equipment (PPE) and medical-grade hand sanitisers 
for public and private sectors in South Africa and Europe.
Driver health (South Africa)
 
●Contributed to the development of a new driver health and 
wellness programme, which assesses driver fitness and 
addresses driver fatigue and the psychological stressors arising 
from Covid-19.
FTSE4Good Index Series
Health
and safety
Human rights
and community
Labour
standards
■ Imperial 
■ Sub-sector average: transportation services
■ Country average: South Africa
3,0
1,7
3,7
2,8
3,0
2,3
3,3
4,0
1,6
Access to healthcare
 
●Resolve Solution Partners, a group company, won a Platinum 
Award at the 30th Annual Logistics Achiever Awards for the 
239 medicine stores deployed across Malawi.
 
●Partnered with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to 
co-develop In-a-Box™ modular solutions for Covid-19 screening, 
triage and treatment.
 
●Unjani Clinics in South Africa celebrated its millionth patient 
engagement, marking the effectiveness of the healthcare 
delivery model.
Unemployed youth (South Africa)
 
●174 unemployed learners participated in a learnership, 
apprenticeship or internship, gaining work experience and 
receiving a stipend while they learn. 
Scholar road safety awareness (South Africa)
 
●66 schools reached, including 20 reached in F2019, and 
58 931 scholars educated on road safety and the K53 method 
of driving.
 
●Launched the Be safe, Be smart roadshow, which delivers 
education on Covid-19 and hygiene to primary and secondary 
school scholars, supporting schools in their reopening after 
lockdown.
Road fatalities
Sadly, towards the end of the financial year, we reported one 
employee fatality in an accident caused by a third-party vehicle. 
We deeply regret the death of our colleague Mr TJ Thupaemang and 
again offer our deepest sympathies to his family and friends. Driver 
and public safety remain top of mind and we continue to leverage 
technology and driver education to reduce accidents. In addition to 
our own safety measures, our road safety awareness and education 
is extended to scholars and the general public as part of our CSI 
initiatives.
35
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Performance  
overview continued
Key performance indicators
1	 Reported for Imperial employees only. Excludes third parties.
2 	The broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) scorecard will be published at the end of September 2020.
3 	Revised from the reported Level 3 rating in the 2019 sustainable development report following the final verification after publication.
  Detailed data table: page 62.
Logistics Africa1
0,246
road accidents per million 
kilometres  
(F2019: 0,210)
0,066
road injuries per million 
kilometres  
(F2019: 0,047)
0,004
road fatalities per million 
kilometres  
(F2019: 0,006)
Market Access1
0,063
road accidents per million 
kilometres  
(F2019: 0)
0
road injuries per million 
kilometres  
(F2019: 0)
0
road fatalities per million 
kilometres  
(F2019: 0)
Logistics International1
0,399
road accidents per million 
kilometres  
(F2019: 0,423)
0,041
road injuries per million 
kilometres  
(F2019: 0,172)
0
road fatalities per million 
kilometres  
(F2019: 0)
Product safety 
No material incidents of non-compliance with laws and regulations concerning the health and safety 
impacts of products and services  
(F2019: none)
Expected BBBEE ratings2  
(South Africa)
Current projections show that our 
verified BBBEE score for 2020 
will be a 
Level 4 rating 
against the more stringent amended 
Department of Trade and Industry’s 
Broad-based Black Economic 
Empowerment Codes of Good 
Practice (dti Codes). The lower score 
is largely due to the impact of 
Covid-19 and related budget 
constraints.
(2019: level 23)
Level 2 rating 
against the Road Freight  
Sector Codes
(2019: level 2)
Developing black employees  
(South Africa)
85% (R84 million)  
of training spend was used to 
develop black employees 
(F2019: 92%)
Enterprise development spend  
(South Africa)
R29 million 
(F2019: R27 million)
Total CSI spend (group)
R21,1 million  
(F2019: R22,2 million)
Imperial board
Nine board members, of which 
37% are black directors
(F2019: 44%)
Black representation  
(South Africa)
42% 
at top management 
(F2019: 47%)
32% 
at senior management 
(F2019: 28%)
45% 
at middle management 
(F2019: 43%)
36
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

37
37
Response  
to Covid-19
Up to the end of July 2020, 385 employees had tested positive for 
the virus. While most have made a full recovery, we are sad to 
report that 11 of our colleagues (seven in South Africa) succumbed 
to the virus and we extend our heartfelt condolences to their 
families and colleagues.
Based on the learnings from our European operation, which went 
into lockdown before South Africa, we were able to adopt safety 
measures early, enabling 98% of the South African workforce in the 
essential services businesses to work during the country’s strict 
national lockdown.
Containing the spread
Business continuity plans and pandemic protocols and guidelines 
set the stringent safety and strict access controls needed to prevent 
the spread of the virus within our buildings and warehouses and 
keep our employees and their families healthy. While many 
employees continue to work from home, essential employees 
work on different shift systems and in separate offices to allow for 
increased social distancing and to ensure continuity when a 
member of a team tests positive for the virus. Interaction between 
departments has been limited to essential engagement, and virtual 
meetings are encouraged.
Our protective measures include daily temperature and health 
screening, hand sanitisation dispensers, PPE and rigorous hygiene, 
cleaning and disinfectant programmes for high-risk areas, 
including trucks used across shifts. Workplaces are 
continuously monitored using risk assessments and, in South 
Africa, weekly documented compliance inspections.
All African group companies have a dedicated Covid-19 
champion who promotes awareness, ensures that 
communication reaches all operational levels, monitors 
compliance by means of documented compliance 
inspections and manages suspected Covid-19 cases in line 
with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases 
protocols. Measures have also been implemented to 
support contact tracing. In Logistics International, similar 
duties are managed by a crisis team, which co-ordinates 
with the company doctor to adapt preventative measures, 
when required. A dedicated Covid-19 champion manages 
all suspected cases and emergencies on a 24/7 basis.
Our primary duty and responsibility during Covid-19 is to lead and act in the best interest of 
all our stakeholders. First and foremost, our focus is on protecting our people, operations, 
clients and suppliers from infection, and fulfilling the critical role we play in ensuring the 
continued supply of the essential products and services needed to respond to this threat.
Supporting our people
Salaries amounting to around R160 million were paid during 
periods of lockdown to staff restricted from working. Training 
across the group as well as mailers, posters and an animated video, 
deliver practical and easy-to-understand information on the virus, 
the associated risks and preventative measures that safeguard 
against infection; this is also done for outsourced security guards 
and cleaners in South Africa. In South Africa, toolbox talks and an 
online employee Covid-19 induction programme reinforce these 
messages, and simulation exercises test our readiness to deal with 
positive cases in the workplace. All three divisions shared safety 
information, best practice approaches and solutions to challenges. 
Employees in South Africa have access to online screening 
(managed by an occupational health nurse) and counselling 
services.
  Covid-19 impact on the workforce: page 18.
  Driver fitness and employee health programmes: 
pages 43 and 44 respectively.
37
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Response  
to Covid-19 continued
Supporting our clients
Where needed, we have put additional capacity in place to meet 
increased client demand for the delivery of medication, medical 
supplies, food, basic goods and other essential goods and 
services, including fuel in South Africa. Pleasingly, we have been 
able to maintain high-service levels for these stakeholders 
despite supply chain interruptions during lockdowns.
Supporting our communities
A number of initiatives were implemented to support our 
communities in South Africa, Africa and Europe during the 
pandemic. Our contributions are covered on page 55.
Stakeholder engagement
Key client and employee concerns: business continuation and 
our ability to provide healthy and safe working conditions.
Key to our Covid-19 response is effective and ongoing 
communication with our stakeholders. Group CEO, Mohammed 
Akoojee, frequently engages with employees and leadership 
outlining our approach to Covid-19 and the actions taken to 
ensure employee safety and meet government regulations and 
client expectations. The #aboveandbeyond campaign, which 
thanked our employees for their dedication and hard work 
during this time, and a short inspirational video showcasing the 
critical role Imperial plays in assisting people, boosted morale. 
We also published a guideline for our employees who are 
parents to help them manage the anxiety their children may be 
experiencing and to make informed age-appropriate decisions 
with regards to their children’s safety. We continue to leverage 
social media and other channels to engage with employees and 
to urge their continued adherence to health protocols.
Our clients have been kept updated on our readiness and 
commitment to operational excellence. We are engaging with 
them transparently, sharing our concerns, insights, lessons learnt 
and business continuity plans.
Supplier communication, including with our sub-contractor 
partners who provide transportation services, centres on 
delivering products and services responsibly and in a 
prophylactic manner. In South Africa, the use of sub-contractors 
has been substantially scaled back in favour of our own fleet.
We are engaging with the dti on how logistics services can better 
support South Africa during this period. The group CEO has 
participated in thought leadership discussions, including a virtual 
roundtable discussion hosted by Goldman Sachs, on how to 
restart the South African economy post-lockdown.
Our story
Playing our part in the delivery 
of PPE
Chartered nine Imperial-specific 
flights carrying over 2 000m3 of 
PPE from China during April 
2020 for public and private 
sector hospitals, clinics and 
medical facilities across 
South Africa.
Imperial partnered with Business for South Africa in April 2020 when the quality and timeous 
supply of medical and protective equipment was critical in South Africa − putting together an 
integrated end-to-end logistics solution. We were tasked with managing the supplier orders 
for PPE, exporting from China and importing into South Africa. This included the certification, 
clearance, consolidation and pallet building as well as special procurement of Imperial-
exclusive chartered flights (as opposed to normal airfreight). We were also responsible for the 
distribution of this equipment from loading in China to unloading in South Africa, and 
warehousing the goods in our Health Sciences facility in Centurion, Pretoria. All PPE was then 
distributed by Imperial to hospitals, clinics and medical facilities across South Africa as 
directed by the National Department of Health.
We sourced, delivered and distributed the PPE and medical equipment on a cost recovery 
basis.
During this time, we also collaborated to provide bulk supplies of medical-grade hand 
sanitiser and gloves to five major state hospitals at no cost and supplied five trucks to 
Imperial Health Sciences to deliver sanitisers, masks and gloves to government facilities and 
hospitals.
In Europe, Logistics International played its part by:
 
●Distributing 45 ocean containers, providing around 920 000 protective suits for healthcare 
workers in Weimar, Germany. The consignment is shipped from China on behalf of the 
Kassenärztliche Vereinigung (Statutory Health Insurance Association).
 
●Providing free-of-charge logistics and transportation services of raw materials for 
Albemarle’s new hand sanitiser production line in Germany. We quickly adapted our 
hazardous materials (hazmat) warehouse to store 17 000 litres of ethanol for Albemarle. 
We also transport the finished product to the hospital in Goslar.
 
●Leveraging the size and capacity of our hazmat warehousing and transport network to 
support chemicals manufacturer, Schirm, in the urgent storage and distribution of hand 
sanitiser for the police, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and hospitals in Hamburg, 
Germany. We successfully set up all operations within 24 hours of the initial request and 
within 14 days made 40 deliveries of 616 000 litres of sanitiser, with around half of these 
drops being outside normal business hours.
38
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

39
Defensible health and 
safety practices
Safety is a standard requirement in client and principal contracts. 
Across the healthcare, chemicals and automotive industries we are 
differentiated by our security and safety practices. We leverage our 
expertise, consider best practice and industry guidelines and use 
a number of awareness mechanisms to embed responsible safety, 
health, environmental and quality (SHEQ) practices and mindset in 
our operations.
Our road transportation business is based primarily in South Africa 
where the frequency of accidents and fatalities is alarming. Our 
drivers across the group operate large vehicles in heavy traffic every 
day and are sometimes under time-pressure to meet client 
requirements. In addition, some of our trucks transport chemicals or 
materials such as steel, which can add to the severity of an accident 
should one occur. In South Africa, our transportation fleet includes 
buses, making passenger safety another key focus area.
While road safety is continuously monitored by management, road 
incidents are not always within our control, potentially resulting in 
safety metric fluctuations. In South Africa, 92% (F2019: 88%) of the 
fatal road incidents involving an Imperial truck, were beyond the 
control of our drivers − involving third-party vehicle overtaking, and 
reckless cycling and pedestrian behaviours.
Management approach
Our approach to safety covers safe road transportation services, 
product quality and employee wellness. Our quality and safety 
management frameworks and systems align to relevant legislation 
in each country of operation and are designed to ensure we 
consistently meet client and principal SHEQ requirements.
A network of safety committees and representatives across the 
group ensure that safety standards are implemented and areas for 
improvement identified. Committees oversee the implementation 
of SHEQ policy, set prevention plans, review occupational health and 
safety (OHS) compliance and audit findings and address incidents 
and near misses.
We investigate all accidents and incidents whether or not these 
result in injury or occupational disease. This enables a clear 
understanding of unacceptable risk and the preventative measures 
needed. The sustainability management system records incidents, 
fatalities and non-conformances, and is used to monitor accident 
trends and ensure that remedial action is implemented for all 
non-conformances.
In the event of a road accident, approved and accredited service 
providers are used to recover vehicles and product, and ensure that 
appropriate procedures are followed during scene clean-up 
processes, particularly when hazardous loads are involved. 
Technology systems provide real-time information, enabling us to 
make informed decisions relating to the scene, driver and third-party 
injuries and salvageable product. Trauma counselling and medical 
evaluation are provided to drivers following a major accident.
All fatal accidents are thoroughly investigated internally (led by the 
managing director of the company concerned) and by an external 
independent accident investigator, or an authority in the case of 
Logistics International, to provide an unbiased view.
In South Africa and Europe, annual safety self-assessments are 
conducted by internal safety specialists or external certified experts 
(with oversight from internal audit) to ensure our policies, 
procedures and safety initiatives are relevant, adhere to legislation, 
and continue to meet our SHEQ standards and those of our clients 
and principals. Where required, independent external audits or 
client and principal audits are conducted at sites to ensure we 
adhere to standard operating procedures. In Europe, OHS 
compliance is also monitored by the authorities.
Our road safety policies and standards are regularly updated to 
include new risks identified by driver experiences. Drivers who 
disregard safety procedures are appropriately disciplined.
Our asset-right strategy balances the use of our own fleet with the 
use of transport service providers. These business partners are held 
to the same road safety standards as our group companies. Key 
sub-contractors are regularly audited in South Africa and Europe to 
ensure compliance with our safety standards. Sub‑contractor risk is 
not as material in other African markets as our sub-contractors are 
large courier companies.
Kilometres travelled (group)
Products picked
Hazardous substances
376,2 million¹ road kilometres travelled.
In excess of 25 million cases of consumer 
products picked in Africa.
A significant player in the bulk and packed 
fuel and gas sector in South Africa and in the 
European chemical industry.
Kilometres travelled
Why this matters
¹ 	Excludes distances travelled by our sub-contractors.
2020
9%
72%
19%
● Market Access (31,7 million km)
● Logistics Africa (271,9 million km)
● Logistics International (72,6 million km)
39
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Defensible health and 
safety practices continued
Stakeholder engagement
Key client concerns: reducing road accidents and driver fatigue, 
which has played a role in the preventable incidents in South 
Africa over the past year as well as product quality, consumer 
safety and OHS practices.
Key regulator concern: employees vulnerable to Covid-19 
infection.
We ensure our drivers understand their responsibilities on the 
road and implement the best road safety practices to protect them 
and other road users. Regular driver training programmes, toolbox 
talks, safety meetings and briefing and debriefing sessions are 
used to share lessons learnt from incidents and address non-
compliance with road safety procedures.
Journey management plans include information on resting points 
and the control centre monitors all stops. We are investigating 
various fatigue monitoring tools (eye gyms and fatigue meters), 
with a pilot underway in Tanker Services Fuel and Gas.
Specialised safety training is provided to employees working in the 
healthcare, consumer goods, chemical and automotive businesses 
that require specialised safety and quality control procedures. 
Certification of quality and safety systems and frameworks is 
obtained where it makes sense to do so and require the 
continuous audit and updating of our policies, standards and 
procedures to ensure they are relevant.
We took part in forum discussions at the South African Institute of 
Occupational Safety and Health, which focused on controls for 
employees vulnerable to Covid-19 infection. These employees 
have been identified and controls implemented to provide 
additional protection, including remote working or adjusting 
work circumstance to minimise physical interaction.
Key challenges and initiatives
Operation: group
Challenges: our current safety strategy requires review and our measurement and reporting require updating. In addition, our policies 
currently operate at the business unit level and must be consistently and uniformly applied across ‘One Imperial’. Our major area of 
concern remains driver and public safety, and we will be conducting an assessment to ensure we prioritise key issues.
Project Blue Fleet
We are implementing Project Blue Fleet in our African operations to shift our focus from reacting to accidents to proactively avoiding 
accidents. This will be supported by driving organisational discipline and standardising best practices and processes across the African 
operation. The project addresses the following key road safety risks.
Processes and procedures 
Risks addressed
Briefing and debriefing
Covers information on loads, client, route and potential safety hazards. Hazard 
information is shared with other drivers.
1, 2, 4, 5, 8
Management of working hours
Checking that a driver had adequate rest before a trip and ensuring that driving hours 
do not exceed prescribed working hours.
2
Journey management
Provides guidance on routes and resting points and reinforces information delivered in 
the briefing sessions.
1, 2, 6
Accident management
Investigations and video footage from onboard cameras, installed in most trucks, 
determine the causes of accidents and the remedial action required.
RTMS 
In South Africa, the Road Transport Management System (RTMS) is an industry-led, 
voluntary self-regulation scheme which promotes road safety initiatives. Certification is 
awarded based on annual independent external inspections. We use RTMS to embed 
standardised road safety management practices and enhance our safety culture.
Internal and external safety audits
Our inhouse safety audit protocols have been benchmarked with those of some of our 
major clients and principals. 
1, 4, 8
Vehicle fitness
Drivers conduct vehicle inspections daily. We adhere to rigorous vehicle service and 
maintenance programmes for both truck tractors and trailers, managed against targets 
and checked by senior management. Buses undergo roadworthy testing every six 
months.
8
Risks 
1
Speed
2
Fatigue
3
Distraction 
4
Driver behaviour
5
Driver health
6
Road conditions 
7
Third parties 
(pedestrians and 
cyclists)
8
The general 
condition of trucks 
operating on 
motorways
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

41
Project Blue Fleet’s focus areas
Trucks and trailers
Digital fleet management
Telematics
Acquire trucks and trailers with the 
latest safety technology, for 
example, lane control, brake assist 
and fatigue monitors. 
Accurate and real-time alerts and 
reporting.
Clocking and tags to manage hours, monitors to manage 
speed and harsh braking etc. and onboard cameras to 
support fatigue management, training and accident 
investigations.
Operations excellence
Operations excellence underpins all of Project Blue Fleet road safety initiatives, focusing on the human elements of road safety. This includes 
briefings and debriefings, driver management, driver training, toolbox talks, safety meetings and a workshop management system.
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Defensible health and 
safety practices continued
Driver training
In South Africa, Imperial has established and well-resourced 
inhouse training facilities for drivers with training delivered by 
trainers who meet a minimum standard. Drivers receive training 
on fuel conservation, driver wellness, fatigue management, 
customer care and driving articulated vehicles; and whenever 
there are changes to legislation. This is over and above the 
annual training on dangerous goods, emergency preparedness 
and accident investigation; programmes accredited with the 
Transport Education Training Authority (TETA). Firefighting, first 
aid and tyre management training is outsourced to independent 
service providers who meet our training standards.
In Europe, truck drivers are required by law to attend five 
different theoretical and practical courses within five-year periods 
to extend their Code 95 certification.
Across the group, we collaborate with original equipment 
manufactures to deliver training when new truck models are 
introduced.
During F2020, we purchased Lowveld Bus Service in South Africa. 
An initial safety assessment has been performed and the business 
will be assisted to roll out best operating procedures. RTMS 
accreditation will be pursued towards the end of 2021. We also 
acquired MDS Logistics in Nigeria, an asset-heavy business that 
provides road transportation services. Online training is planned 
for the drivers of MDS Logistics, focusing on fatigue management 
and defensive driving techniques. The training will be aligned with 
our accredited training in South Africa.
Technology
Technology and advanced vehicle tracking systems are used to 
monitor driver behaviour and technique and limit speed. In South 
Africa, DriveCam is installed in more than 60% of our trucks. The 
recorder captures incident-specific video and calculates safety 
scores for each driver. Used together with telematics, mapping 
and analytics we can predict and prevent high-risk behaviour and 
fleet managers can reward good driving and identify those who 
need improvement. In some European operations, onboard 
computers are connected to an eLearning platform, which 
together with telematics, is used to train drivers.
Operation: Logistics Africa
Challenge: violent protests and civil unrest due to a 
challenging economic environment, disrupting our operations 
and forcing detours, which increases costs and places our 
employees, assets and communities at risk, particularly when 
we are transporting hazardous goods.
We leverage our relationships with the South African Police 
Service, traffic authorities and non-governmental organisations 
(NGOs) to receive real-time information on protest action along 
routes or at destinations. This helps us to plan alternative routes 
and warn drivers through our robust en-route communication 
processes. Emergency response planning is a feature of driver 
training and helps drivers to respond appropriately in these 
circumstances.
Operation: group
Challenge: developing customised transportation and 
warehousing solutions that reduce the risk of product 
deterioration and ensure that quality control standards are met 
across a wide range of products.
Product safety
When transporting and storing pharmaceuticals and certain 
consumer goods − particularly food − temperature control, 
expiration management and packaging are key. Effective stock 
tracking and tracing systems and specific product handling 
training are also critical. Our solutions include purpose-built 
vehicles with insulated bodies and warehouse design capabilities 
that support better inventory management to guard against the 
expiration of consignment stock.
Material handling equipment1 in our warehouses is serviced 
regularly and trained equipment operators undergo regular 
medical examinations. The Market Access division’s annual 
warehouse safety reviews cover electrical compliance, 
thermographic scans, lighting, building construction, firefighting 
measures and detections systems, emergency evacuation, 
lighting equipment and training, among others.
1  Material handling equipment is mechanical equipment used for the storage, movement, control and protection of materials and products.
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43
Imperial Health Sciences and Imperial Dedicated Contracts (IDC) are 
licenced with their local healthcare regulatory authorities. Registered 
pharmaceutical professionals ensure compliance with legislation and 
client and principal-specific standards and processes. In Kenya, our 
effective product recall and pharmacovigilance2 (drug safety) 
systems mean we can quickly track stock sold to wholesalers and 
stop them from being on-sold to consumers if an issue is identified. 
The Kenyan Pharmacy and Poisons Board uses our specialised skills 
to pilot changes in drug safety processes. Imres operates an 
enhanced serialisation capability, which enables traceability at all 
levels along the supply chain and authentication controls use Raman 
spectral techniques to identify molecules, providing a quick way to 
analyse medicines.
In the chemical and energy industry, our services range from 
importing raw materials, including customs clearance, to 
warehousing and distribution of dangerous substances. 
We maintain the highest SHEQ standards in these activities, 
including cleaning protocols.
  Managing hazardous substances: page 76.
In the demanding automotive industry, operating costs directly 
correlate to tight quality control processes, which are needed to 
manage supply and effectively identify and correct defects. We 
develop and implement robust quality assurance processes and, 
where relevant, employee performance is measured against quality 
aspects. Our management systems meet the VDA 6 (Verband Der 
Automobilindustrie/VDA Automotive) standard for suppliers to 
the industry.
2  Pharmacovigilance is the pharmacological science of monitoring the effects of medical drugs after they 
have been licensed for use, particularly to identify and evaluate previously unreported adverse reactions.
Operation: group
Challenges: increasing levels of employee stress in a fast-paced 
world of change, as well as anxiety brought about by the 
changes needed to respond to Covid-19. Wellness is intrinsically 
related to driver safety. In South Africa, government healthcare 
facilities are stretched and underresourced and the cost of 
medical aid is beyond the reach of many. Common health 
concerns among drivers include blood pressure, vision, diabetes 
and hearing.
Driver fitness
In South Africa, truck and bus drivers undergo annual health 
examinations, with dangerous goods drivers older than 54 required 
to undergo medical fitness tests twice a year. Assessments are also 
undertaken to ensure drivers are well rested before embarking on 
a trip and driving hours are monitored. In Europe, the frequency of 
health checks is informed by medical doctors and ranges from a 
few months to three years, depending on patient health.
Trucking Wellness Programme
The Trucking Wellness Programme is a partnership with the 
National Bargaining Council for the Road Freight and Logistics 
Industry (NBCRFLI). During the year, we invested R327 700 in two 
of the programme’s permanent roadside wellness centres − one in 
Tugela and the other in Ventersburg − which provide free primary 
healthcare services, including HIV testing, and other support from 
registered nurses and counsellors. In total, 5 143 people received 
healthcare education in F2020 and 3 063 received treatment 
(F2019: 7 140 educated and 3 809 treated).
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Defensible health and 
safety practices continued
We also contributed to a new driver health and wellness 
awareness programme, which addresses physical health 
concerns, driver fatigue and the psychological stressors arising 
from Covid-19. The programme, which will run for 12 months, 
covers fitness, nutrition, obesity, chronic illnesses, sleep quality, 
stress management and Covid-19. Following consultations, 
personal health goals are established and monitored. The 
programme is overseen by a qualified occupational health 
practitioner. The NBCRFLI also provided temporary onsite clinics, 
in partnership with pathology laboratory services to facilitate 
Covid-19 testing and counselling.
The NBCRFLI Wellness Fund Health Plan provides medical 
insurance for bargaining council employees, with employees 
contributing 1% of their salary to the fund and Imperial matching 
this. The fund’s HIV treatment programme is offered at no 
additional cost. The fund provides members and up to two 
eligible spouses with access to certain medical benefits. For 
F2020, our employer contribution to the health plan fund totalled 
R8,6 million (F2019: R7 million).
While we will continue to support the NBCRFLI Wellness Fund 
Health Plan as the largest contributor, as of June 2020, we will 
no longer invest directly in the Tugela and Ventersburg wellness 
centres.
Employee health programmes
Over 13 000 employees working in South Africa, and their 
immediate families, have access to Independent Counselling and 
Advisory Services (ICAS). The free service is confidential and 
available 24/7 via a toll-free line. The service was used extensively 
during the year.
ICAS provides the following services:
 
●Personal face-to-face counselling and confidential telephone 
counselling with qualified counsellors and registered clinicians.
 
●Life management, including legal, financial (advice, tax and 
debt counselling) and family care services.
 
●Professional trauma debriefing and counselling.
 
●HIV counselling.
 
●Access to health and wellbeing information through an online 
portal.
During the year, business-led competitions, quizzes and 
employee engagement programmes have driven employee 
awareness on health and wellbeing, creating open trust-based 
communication between leaders and employees.
In Europe, our flexitime scheme in Germany supports a healthy 
work-life balance and is managed in line with operational 
requirements. At many of our sites, especially in the automotive 
sector, lifting and carrying is part of daily work. To avoid possible 
occupational injury or illness, employees regularly rotate jobs. 
Medical check-ups are available to all employees and health days 
are held to highlight the importance of sport, exercise and 
work-life balance. The health days are very well received by our 
employees and support a caring culture that positively impacts 
employee productivity.
2020 review
Group
 
●Shared best SHEQ operating practices and standards across 
similar group companies in Africa and improved the 
collaboration between all three of the group’s divisions on 
safety matters. We have also expanded our safety metrics to 
include injuries and fatalities per million hours worked, 
including non-road-related injuries and fatalities, days lost to 
injury, the injury severity rate and injury incident rate per 
100 employees. These measures will be audited in F2021.
Africa
 
●Implemented measures to protect truck drivers from Covid-19 
infections, including disinfecting trucks after each shift, 
temperature screening, Covid-19 driver and crew safety packs 
and daily health declarations. Isolation facilities and 
agreements with emergency service providers ensure we are 
able to house and transport long-distance drivers who fall ill 
while across borders. For example, we set up a Ministry of 
Health approved quarantine facility at our WP Transport 
operation in Namibia. Where Covid-19 legislation allows, 
drivers are repatriated.
 
●Tanker Services in partnership with Cranefield Aviation training 
and IQ Business have customised ‘human factor training’ used 
in the aviation industry for road transportation. The eLearning 
programme is being tested with truck drivers in South Africa 
and focuses on improving attitudes to life’s challenges, 
heightening emotional intelligence and encouraging 
conscientious, compliant and team behaviour.
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45
 
●Continued to deliver driver safety awareness interventions and 
training to support defensive driving and contributed to the 
development of new standards for TETA, which enhance 
transport-related training for truck drivers, supervisors and 
managers.
 
●Started retraining controllers to enable them to manage road 
safety in their daily interaction with drivers.
 
●More than 80% of selected transportation companies1 in South 
Africa achieved RTMS recertification, including all heavy duty 
vehicle operations and Interstate Bus Lines (IBL). Tanker Services 
Food and Chemicals achieved Safety and Quality Assessment 
System (SQAS) certification awarded by Sasol.
 
●Fewer kilometres were travelled due to smaller fleets, the impact 
of Covid-19 on business activity and border restrictions. In 
Logistics Africa, the number of road accidents remained the 
same as F2019 at 67 and road injuries increased by three, 
however, the fewer kilometres travelled resulted in higher 
frequency rates for accidents and injuries. Of the accidents in 
Logistics Africa deemed to be avoidable, two resulted in two 
avoidable fatalities (F2019: three accidents resulted in three 
avoidable fatalities).
 
●Conducted 11 large dedicated sub-contractor audits, around 
25% of the sub-contractor base in South Africa (F2019: 83).
 
●Continued to deliver online health and wellness programmes 
and awareness interventions, with 312 employees in African 
markets beyond South Africa completing the online 
programmes.
 
●Implemented new shipment containers that provide thermal 
protection to improve the cold chain distribution process for 
insulin. The solution moves full pallets of stock, reducing the 
handling of the product and the volume of cold chain packaging 
needed. The use of the more efficient cold chain containers will 
be made available to all relevant clients.
 
●Moved World Wide Commercial Ventures Limited’s (WWCVL) 
operations in Lagos, Nigeria, to a new warehouse with improved 
infrastructure design to meet pharmaceutical product 
specifications.
Logistics International
 
●Established a division-level committee to drive a more 
standardised approach to health and safety.
 
●Continued to progress the conversion from OHSAS 18001 to 
the more stringent ISO 45001 standard. The first internal audits 
have certified that the new measures have been implemented 
well. External certification will be completed by November 2020, 
ahead of our 2021 target.
 
●Issued strict Covid-19 guidelines to drivers, including avoiding 
risky areas like rest stops and unnecessary contact with loading 
personnel. Drivers must refuel as far as possible at our premises 
and contactless freight document transfer points prevent drivers 
having to visit offices. All drivers have been issued with Covid-19 
PPE and hand sanitiser.
 
●The reduction in road accidents from 32 in F2019 to 29, and road 
injuries from 13 in F2019 to three is attributable to driver training 
and the sharing of lessons learnt among drivers.
 
●Held a Safety Day for truck drivers in Lengede, Germany. 
Simulators allowed drivers to experience the impact of a truck 
overturning and how wearing a seatbelt and keeping a safe 
1  Excludes truck rental and small commercial delivery vehicles.
following distance can save lives. Drivers also received advice on 
healthy eating and simple exercises for rest periods; feedback 
from drivers was positive.
 
●At the automotive site in Wallersdorf, Germany, the health day 
focused on back health for administrative employees and those 
working in the warehouses, and nutrition for shift workers. 
Employees could take a spine flexibility test and received tips 
and exercises to manage back health. Shift workers received 
recommendations on eating healthily despite constantly 
changing working times.
 
●In Poland, early cancer detection and prevention screening 
examinations were made available to women and men over 45, 
free of charge. 85 employees took advantage of the offering.
  Detailed data table: page 62.
Looking forward
Group
 
●Shift our focus to a more proactive approach to safety versus our 
past reactive measures. This will be supported by driving 
organisational discipline and standardising best safety practices 
and processes across the group. This work will begin in Africa in 
F2021. A focus on safety will also be driven through the roll out 
of the Imperial values.
 
●Continue to explore digital solutions and advanced technology 
to enhance road safety practices and the collation and analyses 
of data to improve safety decision making and quality control.
Africa
 
●Continue to focus on enhancing our road safety culture, 
including reassessing the competency of our trainers to enhance 
the quality of training delivered and implementing biannual 
internal self-assessments. We will also investigate new methods 
of safety communication including industrial theatre.
 
●Launch a reporting platform in South Africa that integrates 
onboard truck computers and cameras as well as satellite 
tracking systems to enhance safety in our road transportation 
services. We will continue to install DriveCam when replacing old 
trucks and a plan is in place to install the technology in IBL buses.
 
●Recertify our transport and warehousing sites in South Africa that 
are ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001 accredited, and certify IDC’s 
new food services sites with the BRCGS Global Standard for 
Food Safety (target: September 2020).
 
●Standardise product quality and safety processes for 
pharmaceuticals and consumer goods across African markets, 
where possible.
 
●Evaluate the early adoption of serialisation and authentication 
capabilities in Africa to ensure consumers receive quality 
medicines and secure the intellectual property of our clients.
Logistics International
 
●Develop a central reporting and document management 
platform, with a clear reporting structure, to enhance our 
accident investigation and risk assessment processes.
 
●Establish a training database with safety templates and best 
practice examples to transfer specialised and professional 
knowledge.
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Defensible health and 
safety practices continued
Our stories
Imperial takes top honours at 
professional driver awards
The 2019 Shell Professional Driver 
of the Year Competition is held 
annually to recognise South 
Africa’s most skilled heavy vehicle 
operators. 
The competition includes tests of theoretical knowledge and practical application, requiring 
drivers to demonstrate their abilities by safely manoeuvring heavy vehicles through obstacle 
courses and challenging terrains.
Demonstrating our deep commitment to road safety, Imperial Logistics employees won 
many of the awards at this event, including:
 
●Driver of the Year, Lion Mdhuli (Tanker Services, Alberton).
 
●First place in the theory test, Faeem Bedi (Tanker Services, Island View).
 
●Driver Trainer of the Year, Johannes Arpin (Tanker Services, Kroonstad).
 
●First place in the Shell VIP Light Motor Vehicle category, Darshan Moodaly (Fuel and Gas 
operations director).
Highlighting Imperial Transport’s 
efficient telematics solution in 
Poland
All drivers working for our 
transportation business in Poland 
have been issued with a tablet 
enabled with the SPEDION app − 
enhancing driver safety, efficiency 
and environmental conservation.
The android-based SPEDION app is a modern, efficient telematics system that provides the 
following benefits:
 
●Enhanced fleet management − the monitoring of routes and driving and resting times 
means that trucks are tracked in real time, estimated times of arrival can be determined 
with maximum precision and delays are quickly identified. This enables optimal route 
planning, flexible rescheduling if necessary, efficient order processing and fuel savings.
 
●Faster communication with drivers as freight planners can upload digital documentation.
 
●Tyre pressure and temperature monitoring and the analysis of fuel consumption, 
motivating better driving behaviour and reducing environmental impact.
Given the precautions needed to prevent the spread of Covid-19, we are investigating 
alternative functionality such as remote driver management and communication 
(for example, check-ins and video or voice messages).
Providing the automotive 
industry with hazmat services
Our parallel expertise and 
resources in the automotive and 
hazmat sectors won Imperial 
contracts to store and charge 
lithium-ion batteries for electric 
vehicles and store air bags for a 
major automotive manufacturer.
During the year, Logistics International was awarded a contract to store lithium-ion batteries 
(classified as hazardous chemicals) and charge them in readiness for delivery to the 
aftermarket network of a major automotive manufacturer.
The lithium-ion batteries will be stored at two Imperial hazmat warehouses with a combined 
footprint of around 25 000m². The warehouses meet the stringent safety regulations 
governing the storage of rechargeable batteries, including state-of-the-art fire prevention 
systems. Environmental and safety measures are in place, from the delivery of raw materials 
to battery manufacture and transportation to the assembly plant and aftermarket network.
The demand for high-output lithium batteries is expected to increase as the move to lower 
carbon emission vehicles accelerates. We are also leveraging our specific expertise to serve 
other lithium-ion battery markets such as green energy power storage, backup power and 
high-tech manufacturing.
We also won a contract to store air bag components for the client. Classified as explosives, 
the components are stored in a fully certified hazmat warehouse where ambient 
temperature and humidity levels are monitored. All employees handling these goods are 
receiving specialist training. The warehouse management system has various security 
features and compiles the required statutory reports for regulatory authorities.
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47
Affordable, quality 
healthcare in Africa
Why this matters
Our footprint
Range of products
Our reach
Imperial owns and operates over 
100 000m² of warehouse space in the 
healthcare industry spanning 27 locations.
We manage innovator, generic and 
over-the-counter pharmaceuticals.
We provide point of care and pharmaceutical 
retail deliveries to more than 3 573 delivery 
points in Kenya, 1 300 in Ghana and 52 000 
across Nigeria.
Our quality-assured hubs into Africa ensure that a consolidated 
inventory of medicine is available quickly and cost efficiently to 
several markets, including Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, 
Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The simplified 
solutions in the healthcare model provide a highly efficient way for 
principals to grow volumes in multiple small to medium-sized 
markets in sub-Saharan Africa and shortens the healthcare supply 
chain, removing layers of mark-up, to reduce the price to patients 
and connect more patients to quality products.
Our control towers enable hospitals, other healthcare providers 
and suppliers to improve processes, collaborate more closely and 
operate more efficiently at lower cost.
Stakeholder engagement
Key concerns for local governments: universal access to basic 
healthcare and affordable drugs as well as the lack of healthcare 
capacity and skill.
Our in-country expertise and our capabilities position us to assist 
governments to grow local pharmaceutical logistics and supply 
chain capacity as well as healthcare service networks. We also work 
to find ways using cheaper infrastructure and enterprise 
development models to extend the reach of healthcare services to 
smaller and hard to serve markets, including rural areas. With South 
Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) in mind, the Unjani Clinics 
NPC (non-profit company) hopes to provide government with a 
proof of concept supported by real evidence of what can be 
achieved by empowering nurses in primary healthcare settings.
Healthcare is one of Africa’s critical development challenges and 
needs. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the 
continent carries 25% of the world’s disease burden, but its share 
of global health expenditures is less than 1%. In addition, it 
manufactures less than 2% of the medicines it consumes1. 
Inadequate resource allocation, funding, customs gridlock and 
counterfeit pharmaceuticals are major challenges to healthcare 
delivery on the continent. In addition, Africa lacks strong 
surveillance and delivery systems at all levels (community, district, 
provincial and national) supported by high-quality laboratory 
services and logistical systems.
A significant portion of the total delivered cost of medicines in 
Africa − up to 40% − is made up of supply chain, distribution and 
other non-core costs. As the costs associated with importing 
products into Africa continues to rise, we are able to leverage our 
relationships, network, experience and skills to ensure our 
pharmaceuticals remain affordable.
Management approach
Over the past 20 years, mainly through our Market Access and 
Logistics Africa businesses, we have developed a wide distribution 
network, efficient service delivery and strong governance and 
compliance practices, enabling us to build strong relationships with 
multinational principals, donors, regulators and governments. 
These relationships give us access to better pricing and ensure a 
reliable supply of quality medicine into Africa.
Our continuous work to enhance the efficiencies of our supply 
chain models, including consolidating healthcare channels, also 
contributes to the affordability of medicine for Africans. 
1	 Source: https://www.un.org/africarenewal/sites/www.un.org.africarenewal/files/Africa_Renewal_En_Dec2016_Mar2017_0.pdf
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

The following relationships contribute to our legitimacy in the 
healthcare sector:
 
●Board membership in People that Deliver, enabling us to 
contribute to upskilling pharmaceutical supply chain 
workforces in developing countries.
 
●Ghana Chamber of Pharmacy membership, through which we 
presented a paper to the Ministry of Trade on establishing a 
dedicated pharmaceutical industrial park.
 
●Surgipharm acts as vice-chairman of the Kenya Association of 
Pharmaceutical Industry and chairs the sub-committee for 
supply chain services.
 
●WWCVL is a member of three2 industry forums in Nigeria, 
which engage with the government on pharmaceutical 
policies.
Key challenge and initiatives
Operation: African operations
Challenge: the majority of Africans rely on underfunded public 
health facilities with only a small minority having access to 
well-funded, quality private healthcare.
In-a-Box™ solutions
Resolve Solution Partners provides turnkey modular infrastructure 
solutions suitable for urban and rural areas. Our In-a-Box™ 
solutions are fully outfitted prefabricated facilities that can be 
constructed in a few days.
Warehouse-in-a-Box™ supports better distribution of 
pharmaceuticals, Clinic-in-a-Box™ delivers essential medical 
services to communities, and Storage-in-a-Box™ and Cold-
Storage-in-a-Box™ expand healthcare supply chains. The 
2  	WWCVL memberships: Nigerian Representatives of Overseas Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, Indian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers in Nigeria and 
Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria.
facilities align with international warehousing practices, and 
supply chain and design principles. The units are 
pharmaceutically compliant and meet WHO storage standards.
The materials used to build In-a-Box™ facilities are significantly 
cheaper than traditional building methods and have a lifespan of 
more than 30 years. In addition, each solution can accommodate 
water storage facilities, waste treatment options and solar power 
to overcome poor or non-existent utility supply in rural areas. 
Insulated walls, doors and roof panels, and energy efficient 
lighting, further reduce energy costs.
The In-a-Box™ solutions also contribute to job creation and local 
business development during construction.
2020 highlights
 
●792 In-a-Box™ solutions are providing quality healthcare 
infrastructure in 15 African countries, including South Africa 
(F2019: 714).
 
●In partnership with the IFC, we are developing the following 
solutions to assist the fight against Covid-19:
	
◆Test-in-a-Box™: mobile screening and triage units.
	
◆Hospital Wards: modular infectious disease hospital 
wards to treat intensive care patients.
The successful and rapid implementation of these solutions 
depends on public and private funding availability, capacity 
building and training to ensure high-quality services, a secure 
supply of equipment and consumables and strong government 
support. Pilot solutions are being developed in Ghana, Kenya, 
Nigeria and South Africa.
Partnership with National 
Treasury’s Job Fund and 
other corporates in South 
Africa.
R4,9 million invested, 
bringing Imperial’s 
investment to date to 
R36,4 million. 
(F2019: R3,8 million)
Provides primary 
healthcare to more than 
39 900 patients a month 
nationally.
More than 265 
permanent jobs created 
and people upskilled, 
including 75 professional 
nurses.
Unjani Clinics
The Unjani Clinics initiative responds to a number of government 
concerns in South Africa, including transforming the healthcare 
system, job creation and entrepreneurship. It empowers black 
women professional nurses to operate and ultimately own 
primary healthcare container clinics in their communities. In 
addition, each clinic creates between three and five sustainable 
jobs.
The clinics offer an affordable, quality primary healthcare service 
and supply of quality medicines to those who are uninsured and 
underserved but employed and able to pay a small fee towards 
their healthcare needs. For patients, the clinics reduce time and 
travel costs incurred accessing state facilities, which are 
underresourced. The network reaches around 480 000 patients 
annually.
Professional nurses and clinic assistants receive three days of 
training on basic business management and the onsite electronic 
patient management and ordering systems. They are supported 
with ongoing engagement, mentoring and guidance, including 
networking and conference sessions.
Strict criteria guide the selection of nurses, who must comply with 
the five-year enterprise development agreement, which also 
covers patient confidentiality, regulatory compliance and 
responsible product use. Compliance is monitored through 
operational and financial audits. Another success factor is 
community buy-in. The process to choose a site includes a 
community survey reaching at least 200 people to determine 
the need for and support of a private clinic in the area.
Affordable, quality 
healthcare in Africa continued
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

49
Patients have access to a confidential feedback facility and 
complaints line, while Facebook, Twitter and Google Map reviews 
function as additional engagement channels. Unjani Clinics NPC 
monitors and manages these engagement mechanisms, following 
up with nurses when complaints or negative feedback are received. 
Funders are happy with the impact the project is having; 
applications are received daily from nurses interested in joining 
the network and patient feedback is overwhelmingly positive.
The network comprises 75 operational clinics (F2019: 63) funded 
through the enterprise development spend from a number of 
partners1, including Imperial (26 clinics) and the Jobs Fund 
(21 clinics). Imperial-funded clinics facilitate around 63% of patient 
engagements.
Basic sonar scans are offered in 57 clinics and an average of 1 991 
ultrasounds are performed each month. Approximately 40 000 
affordable sonars have been conducted since the introduction of 
the service in 2017. The network works with local partners to 
provide free HIV screening and pre- and post-test counselling in 
Ekurhuleni, Tshwane and, most recently, the North West province.
As essential service providers, all Unjani Clinics remained 
operational during the national Covid-19 lockdown. At end June 
2020, over 75 000 patients had been screened with high-risk cases 
referred to government testing stations as the cost of the Covid-19 
test is generally not affordable for most patients. Nurses were 
supported through the following measures:
 
●Nurse education and regular updates on the virus and the 
National Institute for Communicable Diseases’ protocols, 
enabling them to make informed clinical decisions.
 
●A Covid-19 screening app developed together with a 
technology partner.
 
●PPE, sanitiser and hospital-grade detergent. The Elma South 
Africa Foundation donated R750 000 for PPE and an anonymous 
donor provided USD10 000 to provide Covid-19 relief to the 
clinics, including disinfection and sanitisation.
2020 highlights
 
●Celebrated Unjani Clinics’ millionth patient engagement.
 
●10 professional nurses graduated from the five-year 
enterprise development programme, taking title ownership 
of their clinics. Seven of the graduates chose to remain in the 
network.
 
●Welcomed AVI Community Trust, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer 
South Africa and Mediclinic South Africa as new funders. The 
Elma Growth Foundation has committed a further R2,5 million 
to Unjani Clinics NPC in 2021.
 
●Registered as a service provider of the National Department 
of Health’s Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing and 
Distribution Programme, enabling state patients to collect 
prescribed chronic medication at an Unjani Clinic. Parts of 
Ekurhuleni are already operational with other sites 
undergoing assessment.
 
●When four of the Unjani Clinic nurses tested positive for 
Covid-19, the facilities were sanitised and three continued to 
operate with the help of trained locum nurses.
 
●Included in the Top 100 proposals of the MacArthur 
Foundation’s 100&Change competition and a finalist in the 
private sector category of AECI’s Empowerment of Women in 
the Community Award.
 
●Sister Patricia Chauke of Unjani Clinic Malamulele received 
the Job Fund’s Beneficiary Innovation Award.
As a result of Covid-19, the target to grow the Unjani Clinics network 
to 100 clinics has been extended to the end of 2021. Unjani Clinics 
NPC is exploring a blended finance model (affordable for the nurse 
and delivering sufficient returns for loan providers) to ease its 
reliance on grant funding and achieve scale. Due diligence is 
underway with implementation planned for the medium term. 
Other goals include upgrading and improving systems to enhance 
reporting and achieve efficiencies, including on healthcare 
outcomes, and obtaining Office of Health Standards Compliance 
accreditation as a service provider to the NHI.
The prevalence of vision impairment and blindness in Nigeria is 
reportedly among the highest globally, with an estimated 
4,25 million adults older than 39 being visually impaired or blind.
We are investing in the world-class eye hospital in Abuja, Nigeria, 
which provides affordable specialised ophthalmology services. 
At full capacity, the hospital can perform 15 000 surgeries annually. 
The hospital’s cutting edge medical and surgical eyecare provides 
an attractive alternative for paying patients, negating the need to 
travel overseas for care. Revenue generated from the care provided 
to paying patients is used to cross-subsidise community services. 
40 beds are allocated for underprivileged patients.
Weekly outreach camps provide underserved patients in 
communities within a 100 kilometre radius of Abuja with free eye 
examinations and high-quality surgical eye care. Transportation to 
and from the hospital, surgeries, boarding and lodging, medication 
and post-operative review are provided to these patients free of 
charge. Worldwide Healthcare provides funding to the outpatient 
clinic.
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Affordable, quality 
healthcare in Africa continued
2020 highlights
 
●Served 30 729 outpatients since opening. As a preventative 
measure to the spread of Covid-19, free surgeries and 
outreach camps were temporarily halted from around 
March 2020.
 
●Received funding for free community surgeries from Azura 
Power (600 surgeries), Ishk Tolaram (500 surgeries) and 
Uplifting the Needy Foundation (180 surgeries).
 
●Installed an edging machine in the Optical unit, helping to 
shorten the time to deliver spectacles.
 
●Patient feedback on service charges, health professionals’ 
services, waiting times, the facilities and overall satisfaction 
has been overwhelmingly positive.
In the medium term, Tulsi Chanrai Eye Hospital aims to increase 
bed capacity to 100 and establish a premier training institute to 
develop enhanced ophthalmic skills across Nigeria.
2020 review
 
●Ghana: working with the military and donor agencies to deliver 
PPE to Covid-19 centres across the country.
 
●Kenya: assisted the Mission Hospitals network, providing 
concessionary pricing for certain products.
 
●Nigeria: WWCVL, as part of the Chemotherapy Access 
Partnership2, worked to reduce the price of oncology 
medicines by up to 50%, enabling cancer patients to access 
lower-priced, high-quality treatments at hospital pharmacies. 
WWCVL also donated essential medicines, with a retail value of 
around N3 million (R132 000), as well as a cash donation of 
N17,5 million (R774 000), to the Young Professionals 
Organisation for a Covid-19 insolation centre in Lagos and 
other Covid-19 relief efforts.
 
●Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya: signed with Teva Pharmaceutical 
Industries, one of the world’s largest makers of generic drugs, 
and we expect to commence distributing generics in Nigeria 
and Ghana in October 2020. In Kenya, we are in the advanced 
stages of negotiation with several branded generic 
manufacturers.
 
●In-a-Box™ Ethiopia, Mali and Mozambique: refurbished multiple 
regional pharmaceutical warehouses in Ethiopia, constructed 
four regional pharmaceutical warehouses in Mali and 
refurbished multiple warehouses in Mozambique damaged by 
tropical cyclone, Idai.
 
●South Africa: acquired a 49% shareholding in Pharmafrique 
Proprietary Limited, a pharmaceutical manufacturing and 
healthcare services company, which serves as the local 
manufacturing partner for a global leader in generic and 
biosimilar medicines. We also funded four new Imperial Unjani 
Clinics in Botshabelo and QwaQwa (Free State), Mayfield 
(Ekurhuleni) and Mahikeng (North West province).
 
●Imres, which sources and procures emergency medical and 
pharmaceutical supplies and kits for large global donor aid 
organisations and governments, delivered relief supplies for 
the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 
and is assembling and shipping PPE kits to assist the WHO 
during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Looking forward
 
●Continue to expand our cheaper generic offerings.
 
●Continue to accelerate the digitisation journey to achieve 
efficiencies, and reduce working capital and operational cost in 
the pharmaceutical supply chain.
 
●Consider mobile phone-based money transfer services 
(M-Pesa) for sub-scale pharmacies in Kenya that lack access to 
banking facilities, enabling them to purchase pharmaceutical 
products.
 
●Develop a project to increase the access of smaller wholesalers 
in Nigeria to pharmaceutical products.
 
●Invest a further R5 million in the Unjani Clinics network in 
F2021 and provide five modular healthcare buildings to 
extend five existing clinics.
Partnership with the Tulsi 
Chanrai Foundation.
USD1 million to be 
invested by Imperial 
to 2021.
118 rural eye camps 
held, screening around 
16 123 underserved 
patients since January 
2019.
4 353 surgeries 
performed since January 
2019 to March 2020, of 
which 3 228 were at 
no-charge. 
Tulsi Chanrai Eye Hospital
1  Other partners include Johnson & Johnson Family of Businesses, Rand Mutual Assurance, Tiso AEL Development Trust, Pfizer South Africa, Pfizer 
Foundation, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer South Africa, AVI Community Trust and Mediclinic South Africa.
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

51
Our story
Enhancing access to essential 
medicine in Malawi
Resolve Solution Partners won 
a Platinum Award at the 
30th Annual Logistics Achiever 
Awards for 239 medicine stores 
deployed across Malawi, 
including two units on islands 
in Lake Malawi.
Resolve Solution Partners successfully designed, engineered and deployed the medicine stores 
in just six months, providing access to essential medicine for some of the poorest rural patients 
across Malawi.
The project required synchronising 20 deployment teams across three regions during Malawi’s 
rainy season. Challenges included bridges and roads being regularly washed away and trucks 
only being able to cover an average of 200 kilometres per day. Despite these challenges, the 
project was completed within budget and the planned timeframe.
The 239 units represent the equivalent storage capacity of a 14 200m² warehouse with 3 560 pallet 
positions and 4 750 shelves. 50% of the units are off the grid, powered by solar photovoltaic 
systems.
2  Partnership between Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc., the American Cancer Society, Pfizer Inc., Worldwide 
Healthcare and EMGE Resources Limited.
51
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Transformation  
in South Africa
Why this matters
An equitable society
Unemployment
BBBEE is a national strategy that seeks to create an equitable and 
sustainable South Africa in which the black majority can participate 
meaningfully in the mainstream economy. 
South Africa’s unemployment rate rose to 30,1% in the first quarter 
of 2020, equating to around 7,1 million people without work1. 
The impact of Covid-19 on the economy is expected to 
exacerbate this.
As a moral and commercial imperative, we strive to continually 
improve our transformation credentials in line with the 
requirements of the amended dti Codes. Our BBBEE rating 
provides significant benefits for our clients and enhances our 
ability to compete for new business and retain existing clients − 
particularly in the mining, chemical and energy sectors, which are 
under increasing pressure to achieve transformation targets. It 
also strengthens our employer brand and ability to attract and 
retain talent.
Our priorities are to:
 
●Drive employment equity targets at management levels and 
develop the skills of black people.
 
●Achieve 25% of total procurement spend with 50% black-
owned businesses and 7% with 30% black women-owned 
businesses.
 
●Achieve 20% of total procurement spend with qualifying small 
enterprises (QSEs) and exempt micro-enterprises (EMEs).
 
●Spend 3% of the South African net profit after tax (NPAT) on 
enterprise and supplier development (aligned to the dti 
Codes target).
 
●Spend 1% of the South African NPAT on socioeconomic 
development (aligned to the dti Codes target).
Management approach
A dedicated Transformation department provides guidance to 
business, monitors progress and regularly reports progress to the 
Imperial executive committee and board. Our rating measured 
against the current Road Freight Sector Codes is submitted to 
the JSE Limited.
We measure our transformation progress against the more 
stringent dti Codes, despite the revised Road Freight Sector 
Codes having not yet been gazetted. Our BBBEE scorecard 
covers all South African operations, including the employees 
based in South Africa who work for the Market Access business. 
The independently verified2 2020 scorecard will be available at 
the end of September on the Imperial website.
  BBBEE scorecard: https://www.imperiallogistics.com/
transformation.php.
All CEOs and managing directors of Imperial group companies 
in South Africa are held accountable for the BBBEE performance 
of their businesses, with their incentive package linked to 
transformation progress. The management teams of each 
business unit are involved in the planning and implementation 
of transformation initiatives.
Prior to investing in an enterprise development project, thorough 
due diligence is conducted and clear objectives and key 
performance indicators are set. In this process, we ensure that the 
quality of Imperial’s services is maintained or enhanced, and that 
critical workforce and supplier skills are not lost. Following a 
project investment, we provide support, monitor progress and 
continually engage with the stakeholders concerned to ensure 
that the anticipated return is realised.
Stakeholder engagement
Key client concerns: ownership status, collaboration on small, 
medium and micro-enterprise (SMME) development and 
localisation projects.
Key Department of Employment and Labour, employee and 
trade union concerns: the impact of Covid-19 and the 
necessary organisational restructure on the gains made in 
employment equity.
Key SMME concerns: access to markets and procurement 
opportunities.
Key community concerns: employment opportunities and 
social investment.
1  Source: https://tradingeconomics.com/south-africa/unemployment-rate.
2  Verified by a South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) accredited verification agency. 
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

53
Our approach to transformation is collaborative; we work with our 
clients, partners, suppliers and the public sector to drive progress. 
Through our membership in the Road Freight Association, we 
continue to provide input to advance efforts to finalise the revised 
Road Freight Sector Codes, which have slowed due to ministerial 
changes in the Department of Transport and the lapse of the 
charter council’s term.
The amended dti Codes have revised the target for spend with 
50% black-owned suppliers from 40% to 50%, placing more 
pressure on the group to increase our spend with this category 
of suppliers.
We are also members of other business organisations in South 
Africa, including Business Leadership South Africa, Business for 
South Africa (B4SA), the National Business Initiative and Business 
Engage. These relationships help us to build stronger relationships 
with government. Going forward, we will actively support South 
Africa’s development and growth plan post-Covid-19 through 
various stakeholder engagements, including membership in the 
World Economic Forum and Africa Economic Forum.
Key challenges and initiatives
Operation: South Africa
Challenge: achieving closer alignment between the group’s 
leadership profile and South Africa’s demography.
A number of key black and female management appointments 
have been made during the year, and we invested R84 million in 
training and upskilling black people. However, the organisational 
restructuring needed to respond to current economic 
circumstances has negatively impacted these gains.
  Diversity and inclusion: page 28.
Operation: South Africa
Challenge: the different products and services provided by 
group companies make it difficult to centralise procurement 
practices, introduce a group procurement policy and identify 
BBBEE compliant suppliers able to meet our expectations in 
terms of quality, price, capability and capacity.
Discussions were held between the Transformation department 
and business finance departments responsible for procurement, 
to better understand procurement shortfalls.
Workshops and one-on-one information sharing sessions with 
sub-contractors and suppliers, on their BBBEE ratings and to 
identify opportunities to improve, were scheduled for April 2020 
and have not taken place due to Covid-19. However, we have 
communicated our minimum compliant requirements with these 
stakeholders. The project to identify opportunities to centralise 
certain procurement categories has been put on hold.
Operation: South Africa
Challenge: supporting SMMEs during challenging economic 
times.
Our enterprise and supplier development programme aims to 
capacitate small businesses to meet our procurement demands 
and integrate them into our supply chain. Our two flagship 
programmes are the Sinawe Fund (three beneficiaries who provide 
services to more than one group company) and the Unjani Clinics 
network.
  Unjani Clinics network: page 48.
Partnership with Awethu 
Project (Awethu) − an 
SMME investment 
company.
R20 million invested by 
Imperial for the period 
June 2017 to June 2022.
Three SMME beneficiaries 
supported by the Sinawe 
Fund.
134 people employed by 
the SMME beneficiaries.
(F2019: 152).
Sinawe Fund
The Sinawe Fund beneficiaries were identified through a robust 
screening process, with Imperial confirming their quality and 
pricing were best in class, and that they had healthy futures as 
Imperial suppliers. Each SMME received growth financing, primarily 
in the form of equity investment through a black private equity 
fund managed by Awethu Project Capital. They also receive 
technical and general management support customised to their 
growth stages and development gaps. Over and above our 
investment in the fund, Imperial provides the SMMEs with specialist 
logistics mentorship and access to markets through our 
procurement processes and supply chains. Key to achieving 
success is finding ways to professionalise these businesses without 
losing their entrepreneurial culture.
Going beyond transforming our own supply chain, the Sinawe 
Fund is available to our clients to achieve transformation at scale in 
the transport and logistics sector.
53
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Transformation  
in South Africa continued
2020 review
 
●Covid-19 and related budget constraints have meant we will 
be unable to maintain the current Level 2. BBBEE rating 
measured against the dti Codes. We expect our verified score 
for 2020 to drop to a Level 4 rating. However, we do expect to 
retain our Level 2 rating measured against the Road Freight 
Sector Codes.
 
●Imperial Advance, our strategic BBBEE entity which is 50% 
black-owned and more than 30% black women-owned, 
achieved a Level 2 BBBEE rating in September 2019. The 
business provides specialised assets and bulk road 
transportation for the mining, chemical and energy sectors, 
and has established a strong sales pipeline during F2020.
 
●Pleasingly, there has been improvement in the BBBEE 
compliance status of our suppliers, although there is still some 
work to do.
 
●Procurement spend with 50% black-owned businesses was 
R3 056 million (17% lower than F2019). Spend with 30% black 
women-owned businesses was R1 176 million (2% lower than 
F2019). Spend with QSEs and EMEs totalled R2 689 million.
 
●Invested R29 million (F2019: R27 million) in enterprise and 
supplier development, meeting the NPAT target. In total 66% 
of this spend was in the Sinawe Fund and 16% in the Unjani 
Clinics network.
 
●While difficulties have been experienced, the Sinawe Fund 
beneficiaries have been able to sustain their activities during 
the Covid-19 pandemic. Services from Imperial group 
companies directed to the beneficiaries has improved 
compared to F2019. Margin contraction in the trucking 
industry and the poor economic climate have made growth for 
two of the SMMEs more difficult than originally envisaged. 
One SMME will exit the fund agreement in the coming year.
 
●Socioeconomic development spend decreased 49% to 
R4,5 million due to our exit from the consumer packaged 
goods business finalised in September 2019. We have 
nevertheless achieved the 1% NPAT target for 2020.
  Detailed data table: page 62.
Looking forward
 
●Achieve a Level 3 BBBEE rating in 2021 against the more 
stringent dti Codes. Employment equity and skills 
development are the two areas where we can improve.
 
●Continue to find ways of increasing our procurement spend 
with black-owned suppliers.
 
●Collaborate with clients on enterprise and supplier 
development initiatives and identify more SMMEs that we can 
assist in acquiring our old assets and growing their businesses 
by leveraging our supply chain.
 
●Develop strategic partnerships with clients to support rural 
communities in areas where our businesses operate, 
particularly in the mining sector.
Our story
Supporting Canterbury CPT’s 
transformation to 51% black 
ownership
Imperial has benefitted in the 
short term from its participation 
in the Sinawe Fund by adding to 
its BBBEE scorecard − both in 
terms of supplier development 
and increased preferential 
procurement spend with these 
suppliers − and in the medium 
term expects to receive healthy 
returns from the recovery and 
continued growth of the SMME 
beneficiaries. 
The Sinawe Fund aims to support transformation and at the same time deliver attractive 
commercial returns to all participants, making the model sustainable and scalable. 
Implementing an equity-based development fund requires the right balance between size 
and valuation of a small company, the spirit of the remaining owners post-transaction and the 
economics of making a private capital investment of less than R10 million financially feasible. 
Canterbury CPT, identified as a high-potential business with a strong service delivery track 
record based on 20 years as a supplier to Imperial, met the selection criteria. In addition, it 
wanted to transform from a white-owned business to 51% black ownership and to onboard 
senior black talent.
In June 2018, the Sinawe Fund acquired a 51% interest in the business. Awethu then assisted 
Canterbury to identify, screen and place a high-potential senior black manager. Lebogang 
Moeletsi, an Imperial employee with a background in logistics, distribution and finance and a 
strong desire to gain entrepreneurial experience, joined the business in October 2019 and 
was allocated a 20% interest of the shareholding acquired by the fund.
Despite the negative economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the business, 
Canterbury has done well to diversify its revenue streams away from Imperial as a sole 
customer. With a Level 1 BBBEE rating and an experienced management team, the business 
is accessing new markets and is excited about the future growth and wealth creation that this 
partnership presents.
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

55
Community 
development
Why this matters
Critical evaluation of shared value
An equitable society
In a post-pandemic world, organisations will be expected to give 
employees, communities and growth in share price equal priority.
A new report from the United Nations Development Programme 
finds that 10 of the world’s 19 most unequal countries are in 
sub-Saharan Africa.
The Imperial and Motus Community Trust contributes to advancing 
education in South Africa through fully resourced libraries for 
public schools, primarily in underprivileged communities in 
Johannesburg Central, Johannesburg South, Sedibeng West and 
Ekurhuleni South. The libraries are open every weekday until 16:00 
as well as on three Saturdays of every month.
Each child from grade 1 to grade 6 must attend two compulsory 
reading periods every week. Reading levels are tested every two 
years and, to date, assessments have shown that the compulsory 
reading programmes and related activities (such as book clubs, 
book quizzes and spelling competitions) are contributing to better 
than average reading, comprehension and numeracy scores.
Partnership with the National 
Department of Basic Education in 
South Africa.
R5 million to be invested by 
Imperial each year starting in F2020.
45 school libraries reaching over 
50 000 learners. 
(F2019: 40 school libraries reaching 
over 45 000 learners)
Imperial and Motus Community Trust
We are committed to making an active and sustainable 
contribution towards strengthening the communities in which we 
live and work. Our strategic CSI projects are aimed at delivering a 
visible and sustainable positive impact and are rolled out across all 
regions of operation. Projects are selected based on our strategic 
objective to effectively deliver meaningful value creation for 
Imperial and its beneficiaries. This commitment to the wellbeing of 
the communities in which we operate not only bolsters stakeholder 
trust but also boosts employee morale and attracts talent.
Management approach
CSI, which includes enterprise development, is overseen by the 
ESG/CSI committee, a sub-committee of the group’s SES 
committee. The committee approves all CSI projects and spend. 
Our CSI policy and implementation guidelines apply group-wide 
and each division is encouraged to spend around 1% of its NPAT 
on CSI initiatives. Sponsorships are viewed as notably distinct from 
CSI projects.
We partner with our clients, various institutions, well-established 
non-profit organisations, NGOs and government departments 
involved in credible programmes. We also actively encourage the 
participation of our employees in CSI initiatives.
Group-wide, we have identified healthcare and education as our 
primary CSI focus areas as we believe this is where our group 
companies are able to make the most effective impact. In South 
Africa, entrepreneurship and road safety are additional focus areas 
and CSI projects must have a beneficiary base that is at least 75% 
black. Refugee assistance is an added CSI focus area for Market 
Access, with our efforts centred on Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique 
and Nigeria where we have scale and our brand is well established. 
Group companies also support projects relevant to their local 
communities.
Stakeholder engagement
Key employee concerns: being part of an inspirational, 
responsible and caring brand.
Key community concerns: developing local skills, job 
opportunities and access to affordable healthcare.
As a result of the Covid-19 crisis, we had multiple requests for 
support in the form of testing kits, PPE and logistics services from 
NGOs and global humanitarian aid organisations. All requests 
are assessed.
Key challenge and initiative
Operation: South Africa
Challenge: the education system in South Africa is dogged by 
stark inequalities with crumbling infrastructure in many schools, 
overcrowded classrooms and poor educational outcomes.
The Trust employs two qualified teachers to upskill educators on 
how to use the resource centres and equipment. At June 2020, 
69 people were employed by the Trust, including trained library 
assistants. The project has also helped to grow two small 
businesses offering signage and building services.
Since its establishment in 2003, trustees have approved financial 
outlays of over R50 million for school libraries and resources 
centres, as well as teaching and learning programmes, extra-
curricular activities and teacher training.
55
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Community 
development continued
2020 review
Group
Invested R21,1 million (F2019: R22,2 million) in CSI 
projects, of which 59% was spent in South Africa.
Covid-19 response
Donated R5 million to the Solidarity Fund, R5 million to the 
Giving for Hope Foundation in support of SMMEs and R500 000 
to Gift of the Givers humanitarian organisation to support 
Covid-19-related initiatives in South Africa. We also worked with 
charitable organisations to provide vehicles and resources to 
deliver food parcels and other basic needs to communities most 
impacted by the crisis. For example, we facilitated grocery 
deliveries from Durban to Johannesburg for Gift of the Givers.
Africa
Unjani Clinics
Tulsi Chanrai Foundation
Imperial and Motus Community Trust
75 clinics providing affordable primary 
healthcare to people living in low-income 
communities. 267 people are employed 
by the project.
The women professional nurses operating 
the Unjani Clinics received support and 
education to enable the network to act as 
an additional Covid-19 screening measure 
to support government efforts. Over 
75 000 patients were screened for 
Covid-19 through the network.
Supporting a world-class eye hospital in 
Abuja, Nigeria, which has served over 
16 123 underserved patients and 
performed over 3 220 subsidised eye 
surgeries since January 2019.
45 libraries and resource centres south 
and east Johannesburg, reaching over 
50 000 learners and supporting 69 jobs.
Five school libraries were established 
during F2020 with two still to be handed 
over in September 2020 to Phephane and 
Intokozo primary schools1.
  Affordable, quality healthcare 
in Africa: page 48.
  Affordable, quality healthcare 
in Africa: page 50.
  See page 55.
Learnerships
Be safe, Be smart campaign
Central Gauteng Lions women’s league
Contributed to learnerships for differently 
abled people in the fields of business 
administration, wholesale, retail, freight 
management and coding. In December 
2019, 192 graduates celebrated the 
successful culmination of their hard work.
174 unemployed learners participated in a 
learnership, apprenticeship or internship, 
gaining work experience and receiving a 
stipend while they learn. 91% of learners 
are black.
Delivered road safety awareness at 
secondary schools, assisting 
58 931 aspirant drivers to prepare 
for their K53 learner’s licence.
Held road safety awareness events at 
four major holiday driving stops over the 
December festive season, ranging from 
providing safety tips to ‘chill zones’ for 
motorists to relax in.
A Covid-19 Health and Wellness 
Roadshow is being rolled out to educate 
children on Covid-19 and hygiene, and 
support schools in their reopening after 
lockdown.
Invested in the Central Gauteng Lions 
women’s league to develop women in 
cricket in South Africa.
Voices of Change
Contributed to the hosting of the third 
annual Voices of Change event in South 
Africa (August 2020). The virtual event was 
attended by more than 500 people across 
South Africa. The aim of the event was to 
encourage men, women and organisations 
to play leading roles and collaborate on 
gender parity in the workplace, to activate 
awareness, enable shared learning and 
identify interventions that will help to 
empower women.
  Learning and development: 
page 26.
  Road safety awareness: page 59.
1  Handover delayed due to school closures as a result of Covid-19.
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

57
Animal Defenders International
Kenyan Refugee Schools Undertaking
Supplied Animal Defenders International 
(ADI) with four eight-ton cranes and one 
four-ton vehicle to transport 12 tigers and 
five lions from OR Tambo International 
Airport to ADI’s wildlife sanctuary in the 
Free State. The 17 big cats were rescued 
from Guatemalan circuses.
During the year we partnered with the Caring Women’s Forum (CWF) and the United 
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to deliver the Kenyan Refugee Schools 
Undertaking. Imperial has invested USD100 000 (R1,7 million) in the project, which will 
commence in the 2020 calendar year. Covid-19 may impact the timing of some of the 
deliverables given the closure of schools.
Project deliverables include:
 
●5 000 refugee children to receive a set of school books.
 
●60 refugee teachers to be provided with teacher training.
 
●600 refugee students to benefit from 200 new school desks.
 
●265 refugee students enabled to write their high school learning exams.
Imperial Wanderers Stadium 
We have reinforced our commitment to sports development as a means of uniting nations and people by securing the naming rights to 
the Wanderers cricket stadium in Johannesburg. At this time, when sports events are not viable due to Covid-19, the stadium is being 
used as a drive-through Covid-19 testing station.
Imperial Wanderers Stadium has partnered with People Opposing Women Abuse (POWA), an NGO that advocates for women’s rights and 
provides shelter, counselling and legal advice for victims of abuse. Imperial is a proud partner of this initiative and we will leverage our 
relationships with schools to maximise this partnership, educating boys on how to treat girls and teaching girls how to receive assistance.
Logistics International
SOS Children’s Villages
Partnered with SOS Children’s Village in Kecskemét, Hungary. 
SOS Children’s Villages International is a non-profit organisation, 
which provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to 
socially disadvantaged children in 137 countries, protecting their 
interests and rights.
  See page 58.
Corporate giving
 
●In Europe, corporate and employee giving assisted the following 
charities:
	
◆Germany, head office in Duisburg: St. Raphael Children’s and 
Youth Hospice, which provides psychological support to 
families with sick children. The donation contributes towards 
the financing of services not covered by health insurance.
	
◆Germany, Stuttgart: KinderHelden (children’s heroes), which 
manages volunteer mentorship programmes for children and 
young people with learning difficulties. Children and mentors 
learn, play, explore the city and participate in group events.
	
◆Germany: Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (the Workers' Samaritan 
Federation): manages the wünschewagen (car of wishes) 
project, where volunteers use a vehicle equipped for patient 
transport to fulfil the dreams of terminally ill people, for 
example, by taking them to concerts, soccer matches or a 
short trip to the sea etc.
	
◆Hungary, Győr: collected and prepared Christmas gift 
packs, including food and sanitary and baby care products 
for a local children’s home.
	
◆Spain: Palletways Iberia collaborated with the Aphisa 
Association, which offers a home to people with intellectual 
disabilities and helps them to integrate into society. It also 
assists the families of children living in the homes. The 
donation is being used to replace old furniture.
 
●Supported the police union in Germany to produce a 
children’s drawing booklet focusing on traffic education.
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Community 
development continued
Looking forward
 
●Continue to support our flagship CSI projects, including the Unjani Clinics network (R5 million), the Imperial and Motus Community 
Trust (R5 million) and road safety awareness (R1,5 million) in South Africa. We will also undertake site visits to the Kenya refugee camps 
once Covid-19-related restrictions are lifted to provide further support to the project and ensure expected project outcomes are met.
 
●Investigate the feasibility of adapting the school library model to include the transfer of ownership to schools.
 
●Expand our CSI projects into new markets of operation in Africa.
Our stories
Supporting SOS Children’s 
Villages International
SOS Children’s Villages 
International provides children 
and young people − many of 
whom are orphaned or whose 
parents are not able to take 
care of them − with the 
opportunity to grow up within 
family structures, building 
interpersonal bonds with fellow 
residents.
Our contribution to the village in Kecskemét, Hungary, covers the costs of accommodation 
and education for the children. In total, 10 foster families, hosting around 60 children 
between them, live in the village. To integrate the children into society, they attend public 
kindergarten and schools and are allowed to visit friends outside the village or invite their 
friends to visit them. Our operations in Hungary will allow us to maintain a regular presence 
with the children. In addition, we hope to involve them in company events and, in time, 
explore the opportunity of offering internships for some of the young people. In July and 
August 2020, a further EUR1 708 (R24 612) was donated to the village in employee 
fundraising events, a blood drive and matched funds from Imperial.
Celebrating International 
Women’s Day (8 March)
Imperial’s Global Women’s 
Forum celebrated International 
Women’s Day by participating 
in a number of initiatives, and 
drawing attention to the 
difference individuals can make 
and that gender equality is 
essential for economies and 
communities to thrive.
The forum celebrated International Women’s Day by participating in a number of initiatives, 
including preparing 600 care packages for child rape victims in South Africa, the collection 
of clothing, shoes, cosmetics and hygiene products for TrebeCafe − a shelter for homeless 
women and victims of domestic abuse in Germany − and raised gender awareness in all our 
African Regions businesses.
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59
Road safety awareness 
in South Africa
Why this matters
Road fatalities
Pedestrian crashes
Around 40 people are killed on the country’s roads each day and 
15 000 annually1.
A South African child is more likely to be killed walking on roads, with 
pedestrian crashes being the leading cause of injury and death for 
children under the age of 152.
Road fatalities are a major contributor to unnatural deaths. Around 
3 200 people are killed every day on roads around the world, with 
most being in low and middle-income countries. South Africa’s 
road mortality rate per 100 000 citizens is one of the worst in the 
world and road crashes account for the largest unnatural killer of 
children1.
The Imperial Be safe, Be smart campaign is a direct response to the 
devastating lack of road safety awareness among children and 
supports government, which has identified road safety education 
in schools as a need. We partner with Active Education, the 
Department of Basic Education and the Department of Transport to 
ensure the success of the campaign. Every activation is supported 
by a community safety member or member of the traffic 
department. Based on our social media engagement, the 
campaign is well received by communities, teachers and learners.
Key challenge and initiatives
Operation: South Africa
Challenge: raising road safety awareness among children, 
particularly underprivileged children who are not exposed to 
road safety measures as their communities lack road markings 
and their journey to school is either on foot or in vehicles that 
sometimes do not have seat belts.
The Be safe, Be smart campaign includes the Imperial Schools 
Road Safety Programme (comprising the initiatives set out below), 
which was started in 2018 in partnership with Shell South Africa. 
A critical enabler of the programme’s success and optimal road 
safety awareness is the use of illustrations and visually rich 
and exciting lessons that teach learners how to 
navigate scenarios.
Scholar road safety awareness
This initiative helps secondary school students, mostly 
from disadvantaged communities, prepare for their K53 
learner’s licence test, and educates them on pedestrian 
safety, and the importance of wearing safety belts when 
travelling in taxis and other vehicles. We provide 
practical advice on obtaining a learner’s licence and 
guidance on the defensive driving system as well as 
mock learner’s licence tests. By educating future drivers 
we empower the youth to be smarter, safer and 
law-abiding road users3.
1	 Source: SA Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020: https://www.arrivealive.
co.za/documents/Road%20Safety%20Strategy%20for%20South%20
Africa%202011.pdf.
2	 Source: Saferspaces: https://www.saferspaces.org.za/understand/entry/
road-safety-in-the-south-african-context.
3	 Dedicated website at www.imperialroadsafety.co.za
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Road safety awareness 
in South Africa continued
School bus driver training
This programme educates bus drivers on the basic principles of 
defensive driving and how to safely transport children in high-risk 
environments.
Truck blind-spot exercise
To help people better understand the limitations experienced by 
drivers of heavy-duty goods trucks, they are invited to sit in a 
truck’s cabin and count the number of children standing in the 
vehicle’s blind spot. The exercise teaches responsible pedestrian 
behaviour, including giving truck drivers the right of way to avoid 
dangerous and potentially fatal incidents.
Health and wellness roadshow
As an immediate need, a Covid-19 Health and Wellness 
Roadshow is being rolled out to support schools in their 
reopening after lockdown (see page 61) and has been 
extremely well received.
2020 review
 
●Invested R1,5 million in road safety awareness.
 
●The Covid-19 pandemic interrupted our mandated target to 
reach 85 schools nationwide before the Easter school holidays 
in April 2020. To date, we have reached 66 schools (including 
the 20 reached in F2019) across six provinces, delivering the 
K53 programme to 58 931 (F2019: 15 122) aspirant drivers. 
Road safety education resumed in August 2020 with the 
reopening of schools. As K53 is part of the school curriculum 
and the sizes of these classes are small, we hope to reach our 
target by December 2020.
 
●Delivered training to 50 school bus drivers (F2019: 50).
 
●Rolled out the Festive Season Road Safety Campaign over four 
peak traffic days in December 2019. Campaigns were held at 
four major holiday driving stops. Safety tips covered resting, 
texting and driving, visibility, obeying the rules of the road, 
buckling up and being mindful of other road users. We also 
included fun activities such as a ‘chill zone’ for motorists to 
relax in, a Chillax Mascot to entertain children and a facilitated 
‘kids zone’ to help children expend excess energy. 
Safety messages were also delivered to truck drivers. In total, 
5 550 motorists were reached and 2 095 pledges to exhibit 
responsible road behaviour received. 72 981 people were 
reached over social media.
 
●Held a number of road safety activations over the four-day test 
series between South Africa and England at the Imperial 
Wanderers Stadium in January 2020. Demonstrations 
illustrated the effects of alcohol and stadium visitors were 
encouraged to pledge to being responsible road users.
Looking forward
 
●Invest a further R1,5 million in road safety awareness.
 
●Align the schools programme to the Department of Basic 
Education’s planned migration to online learning when this 
becomes effective. This will include paperless learning 
material, digital class presentations and engaging digital 
platforms with interactive content. Digital mechanisms will 
become key for many of our road safety initiatives. However, 
this will be a challenge in underprivileged schools.
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61
Our stories
Teaching learners about how to 
prevent the spread of Covid-19
Leveraging our reach with the 
Imperial Schools Road Safety 
Programme, we started 
educating learners in June 2020 
on hygiene practices and 
providing schools with posters 
and wash stations.
The Department of Basic Education has engaged with various stakeholders to prepare for the 
reopening of schools. Key to these efforts is every school’s ability to provide a healthy safe 
environment for learners in line with the department’s hygiene guidelines. This is particularly 
relevant for underprivileged schools where there are major barriers to hygiene. 
The national footprint of the Be safe, Be smart campaign, positions Imperial to support schools 
during this time and elevate our involvement at grassroots level. The following initiatives are 
underway:
 
●The Imperial Be safe, Be smart Covid-19 roadshow, which delivers Covid-19 and hygiene 
education within social distancing protocol at primary and secondary schools. Learners are 
educated on washing and sanitising hands frequently, using protective face masks at all times, 
avoiding touching eyes, mouth and nose with unwashed hands and practicing cough and 
sneeze etiquette. The fundamentals are taught using a simple song and learners are 
encouraged to share this information with their families and friends. 23 schools have been 
visited to date with 5 125 learners reached. 575 litres of sanitiser and 230 dispensers have 
been distributed.
 
●Posters to reinforce the message of frequent hand washing.
 
●Wash stations placed around the school and can be used with sanitiser or soap and water. 
A recycled 2-litre cold drink bottle is used as the tank to ensure the stations are cost effective 
and easily replaceable.
The Imperial Be safe, Be smart Covid-19 roadshow aims to reach 50 schools in three provinces 
before the end of December 2020.
Driving road safety awareness 
among primary school children 
in Dinokana
In October 2019, as part of 
Transport Month, we delivered 
road safety awareness at eight 
primary schools in Dinokana, 
29 kilometres from Zeerust, 
along the N4 toll route.
Our facilitators delivered a fun road safety talk on being safe when walking to and from school. 
Driver trainers from group company, Tanker Services, held an informative session with taxi and 
bus drivers on defensive driving practices. All trainees pledged to ensure a safe commute for 
their passengers to and from school.
Using a Volvo truck with a tanker, learners were taught about blind spots and the difficulties 
of driving a heavy-duty vehicle and how to make themselves visible before crossing a road. 
3 000 reflective bags and 3 000 reflective sashes were handed out.
In addition, a number of taverns were visited, speaking to patrons about their visibility when 
walking home in the dark. 100 reflective beanies were handed out.
61
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Key data
2020
2019
2018
ROAD SAFETY
Market Access
Road kilometres travelled (million)
31,7*
39,4
27,2
Road accidents (company)
2*
▲
0
1
Road accidents per million kilometres
0,063*
▲
0
0,037
Road injuries (company)
0
■
0
0
Road injuries per million kilometres 
0
■
0
0
Road fatalities (company)
0*
■
0
0
Road fatalities per million kilometres
0*
■
0
0
Logistics Africa
Road kilometres travelled (million)
271,9*
318,4
359,5
Road accidents (company)
67*
■
67
100
Road accidents per million kilometres
0,246*
▲
0,210
0,278
Road injuries (company)
18
▲
15
31
Road injuries per million kilometres 
0,066
▲
0,047
0,086
Road fatalities (company)
1*
▼
2
2
Road fatalities per million kilometres
0,004*
▼
0,006
0,006
Logistics International
Road kilometres travelled (million)
72,6*
75,7
79,0
Road accidents (company)
29*
▼
32
20
Road accidents per million kilometres
0,399*
▼
0,423
0,253
Road injuries (company)
3
▼
13
0
Road injuries per million kilometres 
0,041
▼
0,172
0
Road fatalities (company)
0*
■
0
0
Road fatalities per million kilometres
0*
■
0
0
The Imperial sustainability management system collates, processes, tracks and communicates road safety data from all group company sites. Data is collected 
monthly and local administrators and internal audit perform regular data integrity checks. The system also collates lessons learnt, which are used to inform 
development plans.
Note: the table reflects the number of accidents, injuries and fatalities among our employees.
2020
2019
2018
SAFETY
Logistics Africa
Number of non-road injuries
33
▼
70
81
Number of non-road fatalities
0
■
0
0
Road and non-road injury rate per million hours worked
0,65
▼
1,48
1,62
Road and non-road fatality rate per million hours worked
0,01
▼
0,03
0,03
Days lost due to injury
91
▼
144
271
Injury severity rate per million hours worked 
1,16
▼
2,51
3,93
Injury incident rate per 100 employees
0,26
▼
0,58
0,63
Logistics International
Number of non-road injuries
64
▼
70
0
Number of non-road fatalities
0
■
0
0
Road and non-road injury rate per million hours worked
1,81
▼
2,35
0
Road and non-road fatality rate per million hours worked
0
■
0
0
Days lost due to injury
0
■
0
0
Injury severity rate per million hours worked 
0
■
0
0
Injury incident rate per 100 employees
0,69
▼
0,90
0
Note: the table reflects the number of accidents, injuries and fatalities among our employees.
Note: Market Access has not been reported in the above safety table as the operation has been mostly asset light in the past with low numbers of incidents. 
However, acquisitions during F2020 will mean that we will report these metrics for the division going forward.
Key
■	Satisfied with performance.
■	Area for improvement.
*	Assured (see the independent limited assurance report).
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63
2020
2019
2018
TRANSFORMATION (SOUTH AFRICA)
Black representation
Imperial board
Black women (%)
25
33
−
Black men (%)
12
11
−
White men (%)
63
56
−
Management (South Africa)1
Top management (%)
42
▼
47
−
Senior management (%)
32
▲
28
−
Middle management (%)
45
▲
43
−
Preferential procurement
Procurement spend with 50% black-owned businesses (Rm)
3 056
▼
3 6612
−
As a percentage of the 50% targeted spend (%)
25
▼
27
−
Procurement spend with 30% black women-owned businesses (Rm)
1 176
▼
1 195
−
As a percentage of the 12% targeted spend (%)
10
▲
8
−
Procurement spend with QSEs and EMEs
2 689
▼
2 858
−
As a percentage of the 15% targeted spend (%)
22
▼
26
−
Enterprise development
Enterprise development spend (Rm)3
29
▲
27
26
Breakdown of spend
Sinawe Fund (%)
66
74
77
Unjani Clinics (%)
16
15
12
Other (%)
18
11
11
Sinawe Fund
Number of SMMEs in the Imperial supply chain supported by the fund 
3
3
3
Number of people employed by the SMME beneficiaries
134
152
138
Unjani Clinics
Investment in Unjani Clinics (Rm)
4,9
▲
3,8
3,0
Number of clinics
75
63
49
Number of people employed
267
Over 205
Over 150
Number of patient consultations at June (cumulative since January 2013)
Over 1,37 million 
Over 915 000
Over 540 000
Qualifying socioeconomic spend (South Africa)
Qualifying socioeconomic spend on the BBBEE scorecard (Rm)3
4,5
▼
8,8
−
Note: the BBBEE verification process was underway at the time of publication.
1	 Covers all South African operations, including employees in South Africa who work for the Market Access division.
2 	Restated to reflect the final verified number after publication.
3 	Based on our enterprise development and socioeconomic development spend, we are confident that full points will be achieved for both pillars in the 2020 
BBBEE scorecard (September 2020).
2020
2019
2018
CSI (GROUP)
Market Access (Rm)
7,9
▲
3,8
−
Logistics Africa (Rm)¹
12,4
▼
17,6
−
Logistics International (Rm)
0,8
■
0,8
−
Total CSI spend (Rm)
21,1*
▼
22,2
17,0
Note: some metrics for 2018 are not available as these were calculated for Imperial Holdings prior to unbundling.
1	 Some of the qualifying socioeconomic development spend in the transformation table above, which recognises industry-specific initiatives, is included in the 
CSI spend attributable to Logistics Africa.
Key
■	Satisfied with performance.
■	Area for improvement.
*	Assured (see the independent limited assurance report).
63
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

COPY TO BE 
SUPPLIED
4
Section
64
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

COPY TO BE 
SUPPLIED
Environmental 
report
Demonstrate  
environmental stewardship
65
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Why environmental 
stewardship matters
Contract logistics and freight management activities are main 
contributors to environmental threats such as air pollution, global 
warming and resource depletion. Stakeholders increasingly 
expect organisations to participate in a circular economy that 
limits environmental impact, contains the waste of resources and 
uses resources efficiently. Successfully delivering on our new 
strategy, which prioritises people, planet and profit, will enable 
us to meet these stakeholder expectations.
As a first step, a group-wide climate change and environmental 
sustainability strategy framework has been developed and 
approved by the executive and social, ethics and sustainability 
committees. It confers responsibility for addressing climate 
change and other environmental issues on the CEOs of each 
division. The strategy framework guides divisions on the group’s 
approach to climate change and waste, water and biodiversity 
management. There is still significant scope for improvement in 
our environmental performance and this will continue to be a 
focus going forward.
Our focus areas
Reduce our 
environmental footprint 
by using resources 
efficiently and 
implementing solutions 
to reduce our carbon 
footprint and better 
manage our waste.
Responsibly manage 
hazardous substances 
to guard against 
environmental 
contamination.
Trends
Some of the trends impacting road freight in Europe include 
electric truck fleets and more city centres implementing vehicle 
restrictions to limit pollution and traffic congestion, giving rise to 
electric cargo bikes for inner-city deliveries. As online shopping 
and ecommerce grows, consumers will expect express deliveries, 
further impacting on city logistics. While lack of charging 
infrastructure in South Africa limits our opportunities to introduce 
electric vehicles, we will continue to test alternatives. In Bologna, 
Italy, Palletways is testing small electric trucks to deliver goods to 
the limited traffic zone in the city centre.
In the automotive industry, original equipment manufacturers 
(OEMs) are moving to electric vehicle production as stricter 
environmental regulations drive the need for more sustainable, 
emission-free transportation. Our expertise in the chemicals and 
energy sector positions us to support the transition to renewable 
energy sources, with a contract already secured in Germany to 
store and charge lithium-ion batteries.
  Providing the automotive industry with hazmat services: 
page 46.
Link to material themes and issues
Theme
 Material issue
Deliver shared 
value as a purpose-
driven organisation
 
●Deepen legitimacy and enhance 
organisational visibility.
Part of our client proposition is to ensure we are resilient in a changing world and to help 
our clients, principals and customers (collectively referred to as clients) maintain their 
resilience. From an environmental perspective, we aim to achieve this by integrating 
sustainable environmental practices into our everyday operations, being innovative to 
reduce our environmental footprint and help our clients minimise their climate change-
related supply chain risks.
66
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Climate change
Interruptions to day-to-day operations due to damage  
to property and assets, and detrimental traffic patterns,  
risk of road accidents and delays in the supply chain  
due to severe weather conditions.
Environmental contamination
Road accidents that result in damaged tankers while  
transporting hazardous substances could result in  
environmental pollution as well as fines or penalties.
Environmental legislation
Compliance with environmental legislation across multiple jurisdictions and the ability to respond timeously to new environmental 
regulatory requirements. In Europe, new legislation is emerging on nitrous oxide emissions, impacting our road operations, and 
particulate matter from all combustion processes. Carbon taxes are applicable in South Africa and certain operations in Europe, which 
impact our cost structures from transportation to storage.
Our  
risks
Materiality boundary
Market 
Access
Logistics 
Africa
Logistics 
International
Fuel consumption
■
■
Electricity consumption
■
■
■
Water consumption
■
Hazardous substances
■
■
Waste management 
■
Relationship to strategy
	• Integrating ESG practices.
GRI indicators
General: 102-11, 102-15, 102-44
Economic: 201-2
Environment: 302-1, 303-1, 305-1, 305-2, 306-2, 306-3, 307-1
Related content
Imperial’s CDP submission: https://www.imperiallogistics.com/
policies.php.
67
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Performance  
overview
Highlights
Green financing facility
 
●Working with ING Bank to access a green finance facility 
with preferential benefits to be used to implement various 
environmental projects. The preferential benefits depend on 
the outcomes of an annual EcoVadis rating process. The 
submission to gain an EcoVadis Transport and Logistics sector 
rating for the group is underway.
 
●Logistics International achieved EcoVadis Gold status for the 
automotive and chemical businesses.
South Africa
 
●Interstate Bus Lines (IBL) installed a 200,64 kilowatt peak (kWp) 
solar photovoltaic (PV) system, which is expected to achieve 
estimated carbon emissions savings of around 351 tonnes of 
carbon dioxide (CO2) annually.
 
●Solar PV installations have been successfully implemented at 
four sites, producing 763 006 kilowatt hours of solar energy in 
2020.
 
●Waste generated and recycled is reported for the first time.
Nigeria
 
●Moved our pharmaceutical business in Lagos, Nigeria, to a 
new warehouse, reducing our reliance on diesel generators for 
a more stable electricity supply. We renovated the warehouse 
facility, introducing energy efficient lighting and air-
conditioning. The facility supports better workflows and 
provides employees with a nicer and safer working 
environment.
Logistics International
 
●Achieved ISO 50001 (energy management system) and 
ISO 14001 (environmental management system) recertification.
 
●Collated waste metrics for the first time as the division 
continues to enhance its understanding of waste generation in 
its operations.
Recognition
 
●Resolve Solution Partners won the Silver Award and the 
Environmental Award in the Logistics Achiever Awards. The 
awards recognise organisations for environmental and social 
stewardship and for proactively minimising the environmental 
impact of their supply chain processes.
FTSE4Good Index Series
Climate
change
Pollution and
resources
■ Imperial 
■ Sub-sector average: transportation services
■ Country average: South Africa
5,0
1,7
2,4
3,4
2,0
1,5
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

69
Market Access
Logistics Africa
Logistics International
Group
Fuel 
consumed
6 355 622 litres
(F2019: 8 037 483 litres)
112 698 911 litres
(F2019: 131 304 857 litres)
81 369 062 litres
(F2019: 74 796 891 litres)
200 423 595 litres
(F2019: 214 139 231 litres)
Electricity 
purchased
6 356 603 
kilowatt hours
(F2019: 6 649 859 kilowatt 
hours)
35 307 912 
kilowatt hours
(F2019: 64 613 178 kilowatt 
hours)
28 428 430 
kilowatt hours
(F2019: 35 615 290 kilowatt 
hours)
70 092 945 
kilowatt hours
(F2019: 106 878 327 kilowatt 
hours)
Carbon 
footprint¹
20 171 tCO2
(F2019: 24 827 tCO2)
338 668 tCO2
(F2019: 421 108 tCO2)
216 082 tCO2
(F2019: 205 797 tCO2)
574 921 tCO2
(F2019: 651 732 tCO2)
Water 
purchased
19 307 kilolitres
(F2019: 22 005 kilolitres)
326 109 kilolitres
(F2019: 397 801 kilolitres)
60 689 kilolitres
(F2019: 68 214 kilolitres)
406 105 kilolitres
(F2019: 488 020 kilolitres)
¹ Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
Spills (group)
28 000 litres of  
ammonia solution by an 
Imperial sub-contractor  
(F2019: one)
Environmental incidents (group)
No fines or penalties incurred for  
environmental incidents  
(F2019: none)
Waste (South Africa)1 
5 820 tonnes 
of waste generated 
Waste (South Africa)1 
1 070 tonnes 
of waste recycled 
CDP (group) 
B+ rating 
This is higher than the global average (C) and 
the Africa regional average (B–). Our next 
submission is due in August 2020.
Key performance indicators 
  Detailed data table: page 77.
¹ Reported for the first time.
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020
69

Management  
approach
The strategy framework commits the group to:
 
●Adopting the highest environmental standards in all areas of 
our operations, by meeting and exceeding all relevant 
legislative requirements.
 
●Assessing our organisational activities and identifying areas 
where we can minimise our impacts.
 
●Minimising waste through careful and efficient use of all 
materials and energy.
 
●Purchasing sustainable products wherever feasible, for 
example, recycled low environmental impact products and 
energy from renewable resources.
 
●Striving towards zero waste to landfill through waste reduction, 
reuse and recycling.
 
●Minimising the use of water.
 
●Improving the efficiency of buildings through environmentally 
sustainable design with new and refurbished projects.
 
●Training employees to enhance their understanding of our 
environmental policy and approaches and to encourage 
changes in behaviour.
 
●Reducing risks from environmental, health or safety hazards for 
employees and others in the vicinity of our operations.
 
●Adopting a green transport strategy.
 
●Including environmental and ethical considerations in 
investment decisions, where appropriate.
 
●Assisting in developing solutions to environmental problems in 
our own business and in our sector.
 
●Continuously assessing the environmental impact of all our 
operations and setting meaningful and realistic targets to 
improve our performance.
In South Africa, Imperial Dedicated Contracts’ Gauteng and 
Port Elizabeth operations and Imperial Cargo Business’ Paarl 
operation are ISO 14001 certified as required by a client, and are 
audited annually by an external service provider to ensure 
certification is maintained and environmental degradation is 
prevented.
Logistics International operates an ISO 50001 certified energy 
management system and ISO 14001 certified environmental 
management system, both recertified during the year. External 
audits take place annually to ensure ISO certifications are 
retained. The energy management system covers 90% of the 
European operation, including sites in Germany, Luxembourg, 
Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Sweden and the UK. The data 
from these systems enables us to respond to changing 
environmental legislation and government plans.
Environmental management systems
Our internationally accredited sustainability management system 
collates, processes, tracks and communicates data across all 
operations, covering owned, managed and leased sites. 
The system and ongoing improvements in data collection enable 
individual businesses to set environmental targets against 
reliable baselines. The system also allows our companies to share 
information on environmental issues and initiatives. Internal audit 
performs regular data integrity checks and limited assurance by 
external independent service providers is undertaken annually 
on selected indicators.
While intensity ratios have not been established for the group's 
carbon footprint, intensity ratios are in place for vehicles 
purchased to reduce our emissions.
Environmental compliance
Internal audits are conducted in South Africa and Europe to 
assess critical environmental compliance processes and controls. 
Where required, external compliance assessments are also 
undertaken.
Target setting
Emissions reduction targets are set for certain group companies 
rather than at group-level, which we consider more appropriate 
given that most of our emissions result from fuel consumption. 
Consumption depends on distances travelled and loads 
transported, which are in turn, influenced by client trading 
volumes and market dynamics. 
Stakeholder engagement
Key client and regulator concerns: our environmental 
performance, how we guard against spills, environmental 
compliance and our ability to meet their environmental 
requirements. An added concern in South Africa is the 
discharge of effluent from our wash bays into the sewerage 
system.
Key bank, rating agency and community concerns: our 
environmental impact and climate change.
In some operations, our ability to drive environmental initiatives 
depends on client willingness, as we use their facilities and must 
meet their operating standard processes. We work with our 
clients on solutions to optimise fuel consumption and share with 
them our research findings and the outcomes of new 
technologies and solutions tested to deliver energy, water and 
waste efficiencies. Our clients also have access to our carbon 
emissions data. An added benefit is Logistics International’s 
Carbon Compensation Scheme, which allows our clients to offset 
the CO2 emissions of their vehicle fleets. Pleasingly, the service is 
gaining traction and may open up new revenue streams for the 
division’s fleet management business.
Our discharge systems are included in our regular environmental 
performance audits.
Our approach to environmental sustainability is to achieve efficiencies in terms of resource 
conservation, cost reduction and optimal waste management. The new climate change and 
environmental sustainability strategy framework is presented as a set of policies and 
implementation plans to guide divisions in the group’s approach to climate change and 
waste, water and biodiversity management. It also includes a social and environmental 
responsibility code of conduct for the supply chain. The framework has been distributed 
group-wide for implementation.
70
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

We collaborate with our OEMs on ways to make vehicles less 
emission intensive. Similarly, as a major user of fuel, we engage 
with our fuel suppliers on improving product ranges to optimise 
fuel consumption. Our supplier engagements enable us to identify 
and test new vehicles or product ranges that could potentially 
reduce our carbon footprint.
In South Africa, a key focus for the year was creating awareness on 
the impact of human behaviour on the environment, particularly 
electricity usage. Management raised awareness on energy saving 
and renewable energy solutions. Regular toolbox talks raise 
awareness on environmental compliance and lessons learnt from 
major environmental incidents are shared and preventative actions 
implemented to prevent repeats.
Looking forward
 
●Integrate environmental practices into daily operations.
 
●Achieve the EcoVadis rating required to access the green finance 
facility.
 
●Invest in a digitised fleet, leveraging existing and new 
technology to transform the road freight business and gain 
efficiencies, including better vehicle performance and fuel and 
tyre consumption. In addition, better visibility and analytics will 
enable more informed decision making on issues such as route 
optimisation.
 
●Implement systems to enhance our waste management in South 
Africa and Europe, including improving the integrity of our waste 
data to better understand our waste streams, reducing waste to 
landfill and tapping into potential revenue-generating streams 
associated with waste management. Once all employees return 
to work, an initial project will be undertaken at Imperial 
Dedicated Contracts (IDC) (South Africa), which generates the 
most waste out of our businesses, to understand the different 
waste streams and associated costs. In time, we will investigate 
the feasibility of extending similar initiatives in other African 
markets of operation.
Our stories
Working with our OEM to 
improve fuel efficiency
Once WP Transport’s entire truck 
fleet has been converted to Scania’s 
new generation trucks, emissions 
reductions of 225 tonnes and fuel 
savings of R2,5 million will be 
achievable for 2021.
WP Transport, based in Namibia, operates a fleet of 50 trucks, mostly with superlink tautliner 
trailers. The fleet operates throughout Namibia, Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and 
Zimbabwe, travelling around 10 million kilometres a year.
To limit the environmental impact of our fleet and reduce operating costs, we partnered with 
OEM, Scania Namibia, to replace our fleet with new generation trucks over two years. 24 trucks 
have been replaced to date.
We use the data from our onsite Scania accredited workshop and the onboard computers in the 
new trucks to compare emissions and fuel consumption between the two fleets. Overall, the new 
fleet achieves 110 tonnes of emissions reductions − nitrous oxide (-3,8%), particulate matter 
(-11,2%), hydrocarbons (-7,0%), carbon monoxide (-3,1%) and CO2 (-2,2%). Achievable fuel cost 
saving amounts to R1,3 million. Scania’s new technology means that service intervals have 
lengthened by around 30%, reducing truck down time, and oil consumption is less.
The OEM’s advancement in technology is critical to WP Transport achieving its goal to reduce its 
emissions by 15% by 2022.
Testing vehicles that are less 
emission intensive
Working with our clients, we are 
testing an electric powered 
vehicle in Hungry and shifting to 
an liquified natural gas (LNG) 
fleet in the UK.
In Hungry, we are testing a 24-tonne electrically powered truck on our shuttle services between 
our warehouse and the plant of a major automotive manufacturer. The 236 kilowatt electric motor 
provides a range of around 220 kilometres on a single battery charge − the same distance the 
shuttle trucks typically travel each day. Compared with a conventional diesel-powered truck, the 
electric vehicle abates around 1,7 tonnes of CO2 emissions a day.
In the UK, we are moving towards a road transport fleet that is powered by LNG. LNG trucks have 
been successfully trialled in the UK and Germany over the past year, with good results and 
positive driver feedback. The trials have enabled us to accommodate a request from a major 
client in the UK to switch to low-emissions vehicles on its supply routes between 19 component 
manufacturers and its main assembly plant.
During planning, we discovered that LNG service stations were only available on eight of these 
routes. As a result, the decision was taken to install an LNG refuelling facility at our Oxford site, 
reducing our dependency on roadside facilities. Although LNG trucks are 50% more expensive 
than their diesel equivalents, LNG provides lower fuel consumption, produces fewer climate-
damaging gases and almost no particulates, has a lower fuel purchase price and enjoys tax 
concessions.
71
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Reducing our environmental 
footprint
Why this matters
Kilometres travelled
Fuel consumption
Warehouse space
376,2 million road kilometres travelled 
using a fleet of over 5 000 owned trucks in 
South Africa and Europe.
Among the highest consumers of fuel in 
South Africa. Fuel is a major driver of 
logistics cost.
Operate around 2,4 million square metres 
of storage capacity that requires electricity 
for refrigeration, lighting and HVAC1 
systems.
Fuel consumed (litres)
Electricity purchased (kilowatt hours)
Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions (tCO2)
6 060 616
295 006
111 513 894
1 185 017
23 805 315
57 563 747
Market
Access
Logistics
Africa
Logistics
International
■ Road fuel
■ Non-road fuel
2020
9,1%
50,4%
40,5%
● Market Access (6 356 603 kWh)
● Logistics Africa (35 307 912 kWh)
● Logistics International (28 428 430 kWh)
Market
Access
Logistics
Africa
Logistics
International
■ Scope 1
■ Scope 2
17 343
2 631
302 715
34 954
201 827
13 197
1	 Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning.
Africa
345 416 kilolitres 
of water purchased from municipalities in Africa, of which 
94% is attributable to South Africa. 
(2019: 419 806 kilolitres)
Waste management
We dispose of large quantities of hazardous and non-
hazardous waste from waste oil, grease and oil rags (vehicle 
and equipment servicing) to pharmaceutical and food waste 
on behalf of our clients.
Our transportation activities are the biggest contributor to our 
carbon footprint, followed by purchased electricity. By achieving 
lower than average carbon emissions in our transportation 
activities, we can in turn, pass this benefit on to our clients’ 
carbon footprints. Our Market Access division is not transport 
intensive, so initiatives are of a smaller scale and mostly focus on 
electricity saving.
72
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

73
Key challenges and initiatives
Operation: logistics divisions
Challenge: in South Africa, limitations in national infrastructure 
and availability of 50ppm diesel for Euro 5 engines2 constrains 
our ability to use more fuel-efficient trucks. In Europe, newer 
more powerful trucks with attractive functionality often use more 
fuel, making balancing performance and keeping fuel 
consumption constant a challenge. Overseas, we also have to 
meet more stringent European Union emissions regulations.
Initiatives in Logistics Africa
 
●A vehicle replacement programme that ensures trucks are not 
more than 10 years old. Where possible, trucks are replaced with 
Euro 5 trucks.
 
●Strict truck service and maintenance programmes.
 
●Driver training on how to conserve fuel and, in some group 
companies, drivers are incentivised to achieve improved fuel 
consumption.
 
●Route optimisation software to achieve optimal travelling 
distances, saving fuel and shortening delivery times.
 
●Vehicle management systems that measure mileage, fuel 
consumption and tyre and vehicle maintenance. Some systems 
also track driving behaviour.
 
●Regular testing of alternative fuel-efficient trucks such as natural 
gas trucks.
Initiatives in Logistics International
 
●A modern truck fleet with a focus on Euro 6 engines, the highest 
Euro-rating.
 
●Driver training on how to conserve fuel. Fuel performance is 
tracked on an increasing number of trucks.
 
●Route planning systems to save fuel and shorten delivery times.
Operation: group
Challenge: unfortunately, load shedding in South Africa 
continues as municipal electricity infrastructure buckles under 
demand, raising our reliance on generators, which not only 
increases our emissions but also increases operating costs in the 
way of diesel cost and maintenance. This is also true for some 
other African countries. In addition, capital constraints in tough 
economic conditions limit the extent to which solar PV projects 
can be implemented. In Europe, there is still good scope to 
reduce the energy consumption of our operations. The challenge 
is to balance business expectations against a project’s payback 
period.
In South Africa, energy meters measure consumption in real time 
and identify opportunities to implement energy saving initiatives. 
Other projects include energy efficient lighting systems and motion 
sensors as well as air-conditioning timers. Solar PV installations 
have been successfully implemented at four sites and will continue 
to be a potential alternative, however, this year Covid-19 has meant 
the delay of some of our feasibility studies.
2 	The highest Euro-rating feasible in South Africa.
Imperial Health Sciences’ warehouse in Kenya is insulated to assist 
with temperature control and uses solar power to heat water. The 
smaller projects implemented in other African countries include 
energy efficient lighting and air-conditioning systems, light sensors 
and the increased use of natural daylight in warehouses.
Logistics International is prioritising energy efficient lighting 
systems and energy-saving enhancements to IT infrastructure.
Operation: African operations
Challenge: the increasing incidence of prolonged droughts 
exacerbates water shortages due to poor water infrastructure in 
some African countries, including South Africa. This impacts our 
cleaning processes, which for our food, beverage and chemicals 
businesses, is a critical factor in product quality and preventing 
product deterioration.
Where feasible, we use rainwater harvesting systems across our 
African businesses. In South Africa specifically, wastewater 
recycling units are installed at some wash bays to reduce our 
demand on municipal water and the volume of effluent discharged 
into sewers. Imperial Managed Solutions in Kenya recycles 
wastewater using a licenced recycling plant. Borehole water is used 
in certain operations in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia, in 
line with regulatory requirements. In South Africa, water meters 
provide accurate consumption data, highlight discrepancies in 
municipal bills, assist to identify water leaks and provide a platform 
for effective water management initiatives.
Operation: Logistics Africa 
Challenge: most of our waste in South Africa, between 60% to 
70%, is treated in line with client disposal and destruction 
requirements. This means that we are only able to implement 
recycling strategies for less than 40% of the volume of the waste 
we handle and is within our control.
Waste is disposed of in accordance with the relevant local and 
national waste management legislation across our countries of 
operation. Where required, specialist certified service providers are 
used and traceability, disposal and destruction certificates issued. 
In Europe, all waste (client and Imperial’s waste) is disposed of in 
line with legislative requirements.
73
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Reducing our environmental 
footprint continued
Client requirements
Our integrated manufacturing logistics solutions enable us to 
dispose of waste before, during and after the production 
process. In the international steel and power station sectors, 
Imperial specialises in the disposal of ancillary and waste 
products for our clients. Pharmaceutical waste and other 
products that fail to meet required standards are destroyed in 
line with client requirements.
Controlled waste
The management of waste within our control is an area of 
improvement for the group and has been prioritised as part of the 
ESG pillar of our strategy. We will focus on introducing recycling 
policies and practices in both our operations and in collaboration 
with our clients in terms of their products and packaging. We are 
also working to collate and improve our waste reporting to better 
understand the waste streams under our control.
In Logistics Africa, a formal waste management system covers all 
group companies. We also work with our two accredited waste 
management service providers to find solutions to address waste 
management challenges and enhance recycling procedures.
Logistics International tracks waste per site, collaborates with 
recycling service providers, educates employees on recycling 
and is working towards embedding effective recycling processes 
and decreasing disposal costs.
2020 review
Africa
 
●Road fuel usage decreased 15% due to smaller fleets in line 
with our asset-right strategy and fewer kilometres travelled as 
a result of restrictions to contain the spread of Covid-19. 
Electricity purchased dropped 45% in South Africa mostly due 
to the consolidation of businesses, which is expected to 
continue for the remainder of the calendar year as well as the 
closure of the consumer packaged goods business. Scope 3 
emissions were 46% lower as a result of travel restrictions and 
the increased use of video-conferencing.
 
●Water purchased from councils decreased by 18% due to 
consolidation and closure of some major water consuming 
businesses in South Africa, smaller fleets, lower business activity 
and increases in water sourced from alternative sources (mostly 
boreholes) of 4% and 27% for South Africa and the balance of 
African markets, respectively. In addition, the recent droughts in 
Namibia resulted in less frequent washing of vehicles.
 
●Solar PV installations in South Africa produced 763 006 kilowatt 
hours of solar energy.
 
●Completed an in-depth analysis to understand the impact of 
South Africa’s carbon tax in terms of non-road-related 
equipment such as boilers and generators on site. Some 
businesses exceed the 10 megawatt hour combined stationary 
combustion tax threshold. We have started the process to 
register with the Department of Environmental Affairs and the 
South African Revenue Service.
 
●In South Africa, we installed a solar PV system at a 
Bloemfontein site (see page 75) and motion sensors to control 
lights in the offices and warehouse at our Garfield Road site in 
Alberton, Gauteng, as well as rainwater harvesting tanks.
 
●Imres opened a hub in Dubai to service Africa, removing the 
need to route product through the Netherlands. This has 
considerably reduced our environmental footprint and 
shortened travel times. Imres also installed an energy efficient 
light emitting diodes (LED) system in its new leased warehouse 
in Lelystad, Netherlands.
 
●Moved World Wide Commercial Ventures Limited’s (WWCVL) 
operations in Lagos, Nigeria, to a new warehouse, reducing 
our reliance on diesel generators for a more stable electricity 
supply (see page 75).
 
●WP Transport, based in Namibia, started converting its truck 
fleet to Scania’s new generation trucks (see page 71) and will 
investigate the feasibility of natural liquid gas as a substitute for 
diesel fuel in trucks, which could potentially reduce its carbon 
emissions by as much as 25% and operating costs by 20%.
 
●5 820 tonnes of waste was generated in South Africa, with 59% 
classified as safe disposal materials1 (food and edibles that 
have exceeded their shelf life), 26% being general waste 
(materials and rubble taken to landfills) and 15% being 
hazardous waste (oil, grease, sump effluent and oil filters etc.). 
1 070 tonnes (18%) of this waste was recycled, with 71% 
(target: 80%) of the general waste stream being recycled. The 
metrics have shown that much of our general waste is rubble, 
needing to go to landfill, and that our key recyclable items are 
paper, cardboard, cans and bottles as well as metals.
 
●Imres recycled 61 320 kilograms (100%) of packaging material 
(boxes and paper) in the 2019 calendar year, and has 
implemented a few simple waste initiatives, including the 
donation of computers to schools. It has also banned bottled 
water and plastic and paper cups.
1	 Safe disposal materials are unlikely to be recycled because the impact of 
reusing the materials has not been fully researched.
74
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Logistics International
 
●Road fuel usage decreased 9% due to fewer kilometres travelled 
and lower company travel by employees as a result of restrictions 
to contain the spread of Covid-19. In addition, the division’s use 
of biodiesel increased 211% as Food Tankers in Sweden made a 
complete switch to this fuel type. Non-road fuel usage increased 
18% due to increased shipping activity compared to F2019, 
when shipping was impacted by low water levels. The 20% 
decrease in electricity purchased is mostly due to Covid-19’s 
heavy impact on warehouse activity, however, there was also a 
slight improvement in energy consumption due to new LED 
lighting. Scope 3 emissions were 30% lower as a result of travel 
restrictions. Water consumption reduced 11% due to better 
reporting and site closures.
 
●Started to monitor waste streams in more detail to understand 
our waste generation and where improved waste management 
initiatives could be implemented. Results are showing that most 
waste is generated by our clients and that Imperial has limited 
influence.
 
●Reported waste metrics for the first time, while not as robust as 
our other environmental metrics, the data gives us a base from 
which to make improvements. The quality of the data has 
improved over the year with a better understanding among 
businesses on what they need to report.
 
●Reduced the number of printers in the German operation by 
25%, which will reduce the amount of paper used, reduce costs 
and is driving a change towards paperless office behaviour. 
The new printers track printed sheets, which will enable us to 
measure paper usage. It is hoped that the reduced printer fleet 
will also contribute to a reduction in electricity consumption.
  Detailed data table: page 77.
Our stories
Highlighting our new solar PV 
system at IBL in South Africa
IBL installed a 200,64 kWp solar PV 
system, which is expected to 
provide 355 megawatts of power 
each year and achieve estimated 
carbon emissions savings of around 
351 tonnes of CO2 annually.
IBL’s head office in Bloemfontein operates a large mechanical workshop. The increasing 
frequency of power outages in the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality was identified as a high 
risk to the business. While generators are used at the site, the company wanted to implement a 
more sustainable and greener solution to mitigate ever increasing electricity costs, provide a 
consistent power supply and lower its carbon footprint.
Following a robust feasibility study, IBL installed a 200,64 kWp solar PV system. While still tied to 
the grid, IBL is less dependent on municipal power. Operational in October 2019 and measured 
over six months to March 2020, the 608 solar panel system has achieved an average saving of 
approximately 10 000 kilowatt hours per month in purchased electricity compared to the same 
period in the prior year. This equates to an average monthly cost saving of R9 000, taking into 
account electricity tariff increases.
Based on the project’s success, IBL is exploring the feasibility of more installations at other depots.
Highlighting our new 
pharmaceutical facility 
in Nigeria
WWCVL’s new facility is more 
energy efficient, supports better 
workflows and provides our 
employees with a nicer and safer 
working environment.
In October 2019, WWCVL moved into its new facility in Lagos. The move was necessary as the old 
location, consisting of two separate sites, no longer met our health and safety requirements, was 
not able to accommodate our growth and was not connected to a reliable source of power. As a 
pharmaceutical business that must maintain controlled temperatures to ensure product safety, 
the building’s old infrastructure and equipment, and our high reliance on generators, meant that 
we were consuming energy inefficiently. One site did not even have a water source, which meant 
water had to be purchased daily for all requirements.
The cost to build a new warehouse was estimated at USD25 million with a minimum of 30 months 
needed for construction. Alternatively, a new location was sourced with dilapidated warehouses 
but with connection to utilities and the space to accommodate growth for the next six years. The 
site was renovated with a budget costing only 8% of the cost to build a new facility and was 
completed within six months.
The renovated facility boasts modern and energy efficient equipment and electrical fittings, and 
is designed to support efficient workflows for goods and people, maximise storage space and 
improve cooling within the warehouse. Additional windows were provisioned for the offices, 
increasing natural light, reducing electricity consumption and creating a healthier work 
environment. Underground water tanks support rainwater harvesting and the old furniture and 
fittings were refitted to the new office design. Ceiling mounted air-conditioners were installed in 
passages as opposed to individual offices, further reducing power requirements. Automatic 
perimeter lights were also installed.
75
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Managing hazardous 
substances
1 Safety and Quality Assessment for Sustainability.
Why this matters
Fuel delivered
Hazardous substances
More than 2,6 billion 
litres of fuel delivered in 
South Africa.
A significant player in the bulk and 
packed fuel and gas sector in South 
Africa and the European chemical 
industry, as well as a primary supplier 
of fuels into various countries in 
sub-Saharan Africa.
Growing global consumer activism with increased focus on green 
logistics, means that a key differentiator for our chemical and 
energy operations and our clients is demonstrable environmental 
protection measures.
We have specialised capabilities (skills, processes and 
equipment), based on four decades of experience, to handle, 
move and store hazardous products in line with increasingly 
stringent occupational health and safety standards and rigorous 
regulatory requirements across regions.
Key challenge and initiatives
Operation: logistics divisions
Challenge: managing the storage and distribution of 
hazardous substances while protecting our employees and 
guarding against spills and environmental contamination.
All environmental incidents and spills are thoroughly investigated 
and reported. The lessons learnt are used to continuously 
improve processes.
South Africa
Our robust safety, health, environmental and quality (SHEQ) 
practices cover specialised training, journey management and 
driver and vehicle fitness. Periodic compliance verification is 
undertaken on the quality of equipment maintenance. 
Imperial is the only accredited cyanide transporter in Southern 
Africa, with accreditation from the International Cyanide 
Management Institute.
When transporting fuel, customised advanced dispenser 
technology minimises the risk of fuel product contamination. 
Tanker Services use an automated system to brief and debrief 
drivers. The system does not allow a driver to clock in unless they 
have had the required 12 hours’ rest and have taken their chronic 
medication. It also stores driver certificates, licences, training, 
ratings, medical information and incident reports.
IDC uses SQAS1 third-party assessments to evaluate its 
performance in transporting hazardous and low hazardous 
products at its Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal depots. The system 
enables clients to assess our performance. The European 
Chemical Industry Council manages the SQAS system and 
ensures its integrity.
IDC is also a member of the Responsible Care® initiative, a 
voluntary commitment by the global chemical industry to drive 
continuous improvement in SHEQ performance.
Europe
We operate 17 dangerous goods warehouses in Europe that 
have robust temperature control systems and the latest safety-
enhancing technology, including:
 
●State-of-the-art fire prevention systems, automatic fire doors 
and resistant floor coating. An example is our hazardous 
material (hazmat) warehouse in Rieste, Germany, where the 
walls and doors are fireproof and smoke detectors on pallet 
racks activate an integrated sprinkler system and automatically 
send an alert to the local fire brigade when activated. Water 
used to fight fires is prevented from penetrating floors so that it 
can be safely collected for professional disposal.
 
●Specialised high-security gas cylinder chambers, sophisticated 
gas warning systems, technical ventilation to avoid high-risk air 
mixes, explosion protection and CO2 fire extinguishing 
systems. Absorption units rapidly filter escaping gas, ensuring 
that only uncontaminated waste air is fed back into the 
atmosphere.
Trucks transporting chemicals and loading areas are fitted with 
state-of-the-art equipment. For example, some trailers have 
multi-chamber tanks, where some can be heated and others are 
rubber-lined to transport corrosive chemicals. Other safety 
features include stability systems, level indicators and 
immobilisers that prevent vehicle movement if ladders are 
lowered or valves are open.
Frequent training and instructions are delivered to drivers and 
product handlers to ensure the safe handling of hazardous 
substances. Technical aids and modern assistance systems also 
support decision making.
2020 review
 
●28 000 litres of ammonia solution was spilt in Witbank, 
South Africa, by an Imperial sub-contractor.
76
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Key data
2020
2019
2018
FUEL CONSUMPTION
Market Access
Road fuel usage (litres)
6 060 616*
▼
8 037 483
13 126 290
Non-road fuel usage (litres)
295 006
−
−
Logistics Africa
Road fuel usage (litres)
111 513 894*
▼
130 186 325
143 375 188
Non-road fuel usage (litres)
1 185 017
▲
1 118 532
1 063 923
Logistics International
Road fuel usage (litres)
23 805 315*
▼
26 004 574
25 051 935
Non-road fuel usage (litres)
57 563 747
▲
48 792 317
61 319 452
Total fuel consumption (litres)
200 423 595*
▼
214 139 231
243 936 788
PURCHASED ELECTRICITY
Market Access (kilowatt hours)
6 356 603*
▼
6 649 859
6 192 376
Logistics Africa (kilowatt hours)
35 307 912*
▼
64 613 178
67 148 135
Logistics International (kilowatt hours)
28 428 430*
▼
35 615 290
29 812 455
Total purchased electricity (kilowatt hours)
70 092 945*
▼
106 878 327
103 152 966
EMISSIONS
Market Access
Scope 1 emissions (tCO2)
17 343*
▼
21 845
35 623
Scope 2 emissions (tCO2)
2 631*
▲
2 560
3 537
Total Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions (tCO2)
19 974*
▼
24 405
39 160
Scope 3 emissions (tCO2)
197*
▼
422
442
Total emissions for Market Access (tCO2)
20 171*
▼
24 827
39 602
Logistics Africa
Scope 1 emissions (tCO2)
302 715*
▼
355 352
386 687
Scope 2 emissions (tCO2)
34 954*
▼
63 962
68 484
Total Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions (tCO2)
337 669*
▼
419 314
455 171
Scope 3 emissions (tCO2)
999*
▼
1 794
1 795
Total emissions for Logistics Africa (tCO2)
338 668*
▼
421 108
456 966
Logistics International
Scope 1 emissions (tCO2)
201 827*
▲
187 788
216 731
Scope 2 emissions (tCO2)
13 197*
▼
16 488
15 995
Total Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions (tCO2)
215 024*
▲
204 276
232 726
Scope 3 emissions (tCO2)
1 058*
▼
1 521
1 391
Total emissions for Logistics International (tCO2)
216 082*
▲
205 797
234 117
WATER PURCHASED FROM MUNICIPALITIES
Market Access (kilolitres)
19 307*
▼
22 005
18 320
Logistics Africa (kilolitres)
326 109*
▼
397 801
485 709
Logistics International (kilolitres)
60 689*
▼
68 214
96 320
Total water purchased from municipalities (kilolitres)
406 105*
▼
488 020
600 349
WASTE (LOGISTICS AFRICA)¹
General waste (tonnes)
1 501
−
−
Safe disposal (tonnes)
3 438
−
−
Hazardous waste (tonnes)
881
−
−
Total waste (tonnes)
5 820
−
−
Recycling (tonnes)2
1 070
−
−
Percentage of general waste (%)
71
−
−
Waste oil recycled (litres)
49 213
−
−
SPILLS
Number of significant spills
1
■
1
−
ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE
Fines or penalties for environmental incidents
0
■
0
0
¹ 	First year of reporting.
² 	Paper, cardboard, cans and bottles.
Methodology used: Greenhouse Gas Protocol − A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (Revised Edition). The boundary used is operational control.
Key
■	Satisfied with performance.
■	Area for improvement.
*	Assured (see the independent limited assurance report).
77
Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Independent limited assurance report
The directors
Imperial Logistics Limited 
Jeppe Quandam
79 Boeing Road East
INDEPENDENT LIMITED ASSURANCE REPORT TO THE DIRECTORS OF IMPERIAL LOGISTICS LIMITED 
We have performed our limited assurance engagement in respect of the selected non-financial key performance indicators (KPI) 
(subject matter) to be published in the Imperial Logistics Limited integrated report for the year ended 30 June 2020.
Subject matter
The subject matter comprises the selected key performance indicators disclosed in accordance with the management’s basis of 
preparation, as supported by the Global Reporting Initiative Standards (GRI Standards), as prepared by the responsible party, during 
the year ended 30 June 2020.
The terms of management’s basis of preparation comprise the criteria by which Imperial Logistics Limited’s compliance is to be 
evaluated for purposes of our limited assurance engagement. The KPIs include:
Category
Indicators
Metric
Safety
Kilometres travelled
Kilometres
Road accidents
Absolute
Accidents per million kilometres
Ratio
Road fatalities (company)
Absolute
Fatalities per million kilometres
Ratio
Environmental 
Diesel consumed − normal engine
Litres
Petrol consumed − normal engine
Litres
Electricity consumed
Kilowatt hours
Scope 1 emissions
Carbon emission tonnes (tCO2e)
Scope 2 emissions
Carbon emission tonnes (tCO2e)
Scope 3 emissions − air travel
Carbon emission tonnes (tCO2e)
Municipal water consumed
Litres
Social 
Training hours
Hours
Training spend
Rand
CSI spend
Rand
Directors’ responsibility
The directors, being the responsible party, and where appropriate, those charged with governance are responsible for the 
KPIs information, in accordance with management’s basis of preparation.
The responsible party is responsible for:
 
●Ensuring that the subject matter information is properly prepared and presented in accordance with management’s basis of 
preparation.
 
●Confirming the measurement or evaluation of the underlying subject matter against the applicable criteria, including that all relevant 
matters are reflected in the subject matter information.
 
●Designing, establishing and maintaining internal controls to ensure that the KPIs are properly prepared and presented in accordance 
with management’s basis of preparation.
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Assurance practitioner’s responsibility
We conducted our limited assurance engagement in accordance with the International Standard on Assurance Engagements (ISAE) 3000 
(Revised), Assurance Engagements Other Than Audits or Reviews of Historic Financial Information. This standard requires us to comply with 
ethical requirements and to plan and perform our limited assurance engagement with the aim of obtaining limited assurance regarding the 
subject matter of the engagement.
We shall not be responsible for reporting on any non-financial KPI transactions beyond the period covered by our limited assurance 
engagement.
Our independence and quality control
We have complied with the independence and other ethical requirements of the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors’ Code of 
Professional Conduct for Registered Auditors (IRBA Code), which is founded on fundamental principles of integrity, objectivity, professional 
competence and due care, confidentiality and professional behaviour. The IRBA Code is consistent with the corresponding sections of the 
International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants’ International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International 
Independence Standards).
The firm applies the International Standard on Quality Control 1 and accordingly maintains a comprehensive system of quality control, 
including documented policies and procedures regarding compliance with ethical requirements, professional standards and applicable 
legal and regulatory requirements.
Summary of work performed
We have performed our procedures on the subject matter, the non-financial KPIs of Imperial Logistics Limited, as prepared by management 
in accordance with management’s basis of preparation for the year ended 30 June 2020.
Our evaluation included performing such procedures as we considered necessary which included:
 
●Interviewing management and senior executives to obtain an understanding of the internal control environment, risk assessment process 
and information systems relevant to the sustainability reporting process for the selected subject matter.
 
●Identifying and assessing areas of likely misstatement for limited assurance engagements, designing and performing audit procedures, 
and obtaining audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
 
●Obtaining an understanding of the internal controls relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the 
circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of Imperial Logistics Limited’s internal control.
 
●Inspecting supporting documentation and performed analytical review procedures.
 
●Evaluating whether the selected KPI disclosures are consistent with our overall knowledge and experience of sustainability processes at 
Imperial Logistics Limited.
Our limited assurance engagement does not constitute an audit or review of any of the underlying information conducted in accordance 
with International Standards on Auditing or International Standards on Review Engagements and accordingly, we do not express an audit 
opinion or review conclusion.
We believe that our evidence obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our limited assurance conclusion.
In a limited assurance engagement, the procedures performed vary in nature and timing from, and are less in extent than for, a reasonable 
assurance engagement. Consequently, the level of assurance obtained in a limited assurance engagement is substantially lower than the 
assurance that would have been obtained had we performed a reasonable assurance engagement. Accordingly, we do not express a 
reasonable assurance opinion about whether the non-financial KPI information has been presented, in all material respects, in accordance 
with management’s basis of preparation.
Limited assurance conclusion
Based on our work described in this report, nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the selected non-financial 
KPIs as set out in the subject matter paragraph (of our report) for the year ended 30 June 2020, are not prepared, in all material respects, 
in accordance with management’s basis of preparation.
Restriction on use and distribution − for special purpose engagements
Our report is made solely to the directors of Imperial Logistics Limited in accordance with our engagement letter dated 5 May 2020 for the 
purpose of providing limited assurance over the subject matter disclosed in the Imperial Logistics Limited integrated report for the year 
ended 30 June 2020.
Deloitte & Touche
Registered auditors
Per Mark Victor
Partner
10 September 2020
5 Magwa Crescent, Waterfall City, Waterfall
Private Bag X6, Gallo Manor, 2052, South Africa
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Corporate information
IMPERIAL LOGISTICS LIMITED
Registration number: 1946/021048/06 
Ordinary share code: IPL
ISIN: ZAE000067211
Business address and registered 
office
Imperial Logistics Limited 
Jeppe Quondam
79 Boeing Road East
Bedfordview, 2007
Postal address
PO Box 3013
Edenvale 1610
South Africa
Company secretary
RA Venter
Chief corporate affairs and investor 
relations officer
E Mansingh
Directors
P Langeni* (Chairman)
GW Dempster** (Lead independent 
director) 
M Akoojee# (Group CEO)
JG de Beer# (Group CFO) 
P Cooper**
NB Radebe**
D Reich**1
RJA Sparks**
*	 Non-executive director 
**	Independent non-executive director
#	 Executive director 
1	 Swiss
Executive committee
M Akoojee (Group CEO) 
JG de Beer (Group CFO) 
H Bicil
E Hewitt 
E Mansingh 
JVW Rossouw 
JA Truter
S Woodward
Share transfer secretaries
Computershare Investor Services 
Proprietary Limited 
1st Floor, Rosebank Towers
15 Biermann Avenue
Rosebank, 2196
Auditors
Deloitte & Touche 
5 Magwa Crescent
Waterfall City
Waterfall
Midrand
2066
Sponsor
Merrill Lynch SA Proprietary Limited 
The Place, 1 Sandton Drive
Sandton, 2196
www.imperiallogistics.com
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Imperial ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE REPORT 2020

Forward looking statements 
Certain statements made in this report constitute forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are typically identified by the use 
of forward looking terminology such as ”believes“, ”expects“, ”may“, ”will“, ”could“, ”should“, ”intends“, ”estimates“, ”plans“, ”assumes“ or 
”anticipates“ or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, or by discussions of, eg future plans, present 
or future events, or strategy that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward looking statements are subject to a number of risks and 
uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company’s control and all of which are based on the company’s current beliefs and 
expectations about future events. Such statements are based on current expectations and, by their nature, are subject to a number of risks 
and uncertainties that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially from any expected future results or performance, 
expressed or implied, by the forward looking statement. No assurance can be given that such future results will be achieved; actual events 
or results may differ materially as a result of risks and uncertainties facing the company and its subsidiaries. Forward looking statements 
contained in this report speak only as of the date of this report. The company undertakes no duty to, and will not necessarily, update any of 
them in light of new information or future events, except to the extent required by applicable law or regulation. Furthermore, the forecast 
financial information herein has not been reviewed or reported on by Imperial’s audit firm.

www.imperiallogistics.com