CSI INSIGHTS
We share lesson and insights from our various knowledge platforms focused on corporate social investment including annual research and curated articles from The Trialogue CSI Handbook, and insights from the Trialogue CSI Conference and the CSI forums.
Insights from The Trialogue Business in Society Handbook 2018
Companies spent an estimated R9.7 billion on corporate social investment (CSI) in South Africa in 2018 – a 7% year-on-year increase in rand terms (2017: R9.1 billion) and, taking inflation into account, the first real increase in five years, according to Trialogue’s 2018 research into the state of CSI in [...]
Supporting functional literacy at foundation phase
At the Trialogue CSI Forum, presented in partnership with Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) in November 2018, companies and literacy-focused NPOs discussed the type of support that is required to ensure effective early stage literacy interventions. Findings from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study 2016 (PIRLS) sent shock waves through [...]
Working with Government
Kindly hosted by Tsogo Sun, at Garden Court in Sandton City, Johannesburg, on 28 August and SunSquare in Cape Town on 30 August 2018 CSI practitioners know all too well that partnering with government is essential for sustaining and scaling development initiatives. The August Trialogue CSI forums discussed approaches and [...]
KING IV: Reinforcing good governance
The King IV Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa 2016 is an update of King III, aligning it with international governance codes, best practice and shifts towards inclusive and integrated capitalism. It takes into account increased compliance requirements for effective governing bodies, new governance structures, such as Social and [...]
Supply Chain Sustainability – Challenges and Opportunities
EY Trialogue Sustainability Forum Overview Organisational supply chains represent around 50% to 70% of corporates’ sustainability footprint [1]. Consumer goods supply chains alone account for more than 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions, 80% of water withdrawals and 75% of forced and child labour infringements [2]. With this picture as [...]
Enter the 2018 Trialogue Strategic CSI Award by 27 July
Strategic CSI is defined as corporate social investment that has significant developmental impact, as well as a positive impact on the business, beyond reputation. Trialogue invites companies to enter their strategic CSI projects for consideration for the 2018 Award. Previous winners Eskom Development Foundation received the Award in 2016, for [...]
Strengthening Civil Society Resilience
In his latest policy brief, Prof William Gumede suggests ways to create a more sustainable and effective civil society landscape in South Africa. Here, he elaborates on the organisational agility, leadership and partnerships required to do so. What is the state of traditional civil society funding in South Africa? With South [...]
Embracing advocacy to drive real change
Social justice work advocates for fair distribution of resources, equitable access to Constitutional rights, public and private accountability, and the strengthening of democracy. Chief executive officer of the Social Justice Initiative (SJI), Bongiwe Mlangeni, examines why corporate social investment in South Africa will be forced to expand its sphere of [...]
Maths and Science Education on the Trialogue Knowledge Hub
What innovative teaching programmes are making a difference in under-resourced schools? And how relevant are global educational rankings to local conditions? These are just some of the topics addressed on a free online knowledge hub that offers extensive information on improving maths and science education in South African schools. The [...]
Implementation of large-scale renewables in South African communities
Holle Wlokas, a consultant for the Transformation Energy Trust, is involved with the implementation of large-scale renewable energy projects in South Africa. The organisation is currently working with 102 projects across the country, as government approaches its fifth procurement round. She explained how the projects have to share ownership with [...]
Celebrating strategic CSI
Strategic CSI is defined as CSI that has positive developmental, as well as business impact (beyond reputational impact). The Trialogue Strategic CSI Award, which recognises projects that exemplify best practice in strategic CSI in South Africa, was presented to Singita in 2015, for their cooking school in the Kruger National Park. At [...]
QnA: Mervyn King
Mervyn King needs little introduction. A former Supreme Court judge and currently chairman of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), the Integrated Reporting Committee of South Africa (IRCSA) and, of course, the King Committee on Corporate Governance, he discusses the concepts of good governance and integrated thinking. How would you [...]