Corporate social responsibility in South Africa : a closer look at South African Breweries enterprise development programmes
Clements, Deidre Franklin (2008-12)
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: "Poverty is unnecessary. People are capable of getting themselves out of poverty. All they need is opportunities. They are not waiting for charity or handouts. Charity is good but it is not good enough. If you turn it into a business proposition, then it's very powerful, because it can run on its own steam" (Muhammed Yunus, Nobel Prize of Economics, 2006).
It is widely acknowledged in current literature that business is one of the most powerful forces for change in the 21 st century. One of the major challenges is to harness this potential and to allocate it accurately to where it is most effective. Leaders globally are increasingly acknowledging that new business models are emerging that can effectively combine citizenship and profitability without unduly sacrificing returns to shareholders, but rather enhancing them. The term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been abandoned by most South African firms in favour of the term Corporate Social Investment. This has been done in order to divert
attention from calls on business to redress the results of the country's historical contribution to the apartheid system. Businesses have responded strongly to the pressures of CSR. CSR in South Africa has become an inherent aspect of any organisation's overall business strategy. For South Africa to achieve their goals of reducing poverty, accelerating economic growth,
and providing better services to their citizens there has to be a strong focus on encouraging large corporate involvement. This thesis discusses the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes implemented by selected large companies operating in South Africa and the attempts they have made to
close the poverty gap at the bottom of the pyramid. The second part of this thesis provides a closer and detailed discussion of South African Breweries enterprise development programmes, viz: Ukusa and Mahlasedi. The outcome of this thesis provides further evidence that poverty alleviation strategies can be effective and sustainable if they incorporate private sector approaches that promote entrepreneurial development within the target population in South Africa. It also emphasises that CSR programmes not only provide opportunity for the population at the bottom of the pyramid but directly influences the growth and sustainability of many businesses in South
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit word oral in huidige literatuur erken dat besigheid een van die sterkste kragte vir verandering in die 21 ste eeu is. Een van die grootste uitdagings is om hierdie potensiaal te benut en om dit akkuraat toe te wys na waar dit die doeltreffendste aangewend kan word. Leiers wêreldwyd erken toenemend dat nuwe besigheidsmodelle verskyn wat burgerskap en winsgewendheid doeltreffend kan kombineer sonder oormatige opoffering van
winste aan aandeelhouers maar trouens eerder deur die verhoging daarvan.
Die term Korporatiewe Maatskaplike Verantwoordelikheid (KMV) was deur die meeste Suid-Afrikaanse maatskappye ten gunste van die term Korporatiewe Maatskaplike belegging verruil. Dit is gedoen om aandag weg te lei van beroepe op ondememings om die gevolge van die land se historiese bydrae tot die apartheidstelsel reg te stel. Besighede het heftig gereageer op die druk van KMV. KMV in Suid-Afrika het 'n inherente aspek van enige organisasie se oorkoepelende besigheidstrategie geword. Vir Suid-Afrika om hierdie doelwitte
van armoedevermindering, versnelde ekonomiese groei en beter diensverskaffing aan burgers te bereik, moet daar 'n sterk klem op die aanmoediging van korporatiewe betrokkenheid wees. Hierdie tesis bespreek die Korporatiewe Maatskaplike Verantwoordelikheidsprogramme (KMV-programme) wat deur geselekteerde groot Suid-Afrikaanse maatskappye geimplementeer is en die pogings wat hulle aangewend het om die armoede gaping aan die onderkant van die inkomstepiramide te vernou. Die tweede deel van hierdie tesis verskaf 'n
fyner en breedvoeriger bespreking van die Suid-Afrikaanse Brouerye se
Ondernemingsontwikkelingsprogramme, nl. Ukusa en Mahlasedi. Die uitkoms van hierdie tesis verskaf verdere bewyse dat armoedeverligtingstrategieë doeltreffend en volhoubaar kan wees indien dit privaat-sektor benaderings inkorporeer wat entrepreneurskaps ontwikkeling binne die teikenbevolking in Suid-Afrika bevorder. Dit beklemtoon ook dat KMV-programme geleenthede vir die deel van die bevolking aan die onderkant van die inkomstepiramide skep, en terselfdertyd die groei en volhoubaarheid van talle ondernemings in Suid-Afrika regstreeks beinvloed.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/5036