The principles of corporate social responsibility are fundamental to Accenture's character and the way we run our business. Accenture’s Corporate Citizenship commitments are anchored in our core values, our Code of Business Ethics and, ultimately, reflected in the actions of our people. From Skills to Succeed to environmental stewardship, Accenture and our people work to make a sustainable difference in the long-term vibrancy and vitality of people and communities around the world.
Within South Africa, the Accenture Foundation (AF) is responsible for managing and distributing socio economic development funds generated by Accenture. In the past five years, the AF has disbursed more than R6 million in grants to NGOs working in areas as diverse as rural development, women empowerment, job creation, as well as education and training. Since its inception, the Foundation has funded only those programmes that “teach a man to fish.”
Our corporate citizenship activities in South Africa are channeled through two separate entities:
Accenture believes that corporate citizenship serves two objectives. Page 1On the one hand, a sound approach to corporate citizenship leads to greater sustainability, drawing together the needs of society and the results of commercial success. On the other hand, it enables motivated, socially aware people to embrace the needs of others to create a new kind of value that grows businesses.
Skills to Succeed
In keeping with Accenture’s global initiative to create jobs and impart skills to 250 000 people worldwide, the AF has put together an ambitious ‘Skills to Succeed’ programme locally to help unemployed people and entrepreneurs gain employment and run sustainable enterprises. In order to achieve this, the South African strategy encompasses three approaches:
- Employee volunteering programs
- Offering pro-bono services to non-profit organisations
- Giving cash donations
Currently, Accenture supports six NGOs aligned to ‘Skills to Succeed’, with programmes including beadwork, pottery, hospitality, and early childhood development training.
Some of the AF-supported projects in 2011 included:
Siyathuthuka
This Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiative, developed by Accenture staff, is aimed at delivering weekend classes to matriculants. The curriculum is comprised of basic Microsoft Office courses as well as key life skills—including how to develop an effective CV and handle interviews. To date, over 900 school-leavers have participated in this program.
Men on the Side of the Road (MSR)
An NGO with offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban which trains and places ‘men on the side of the road’ who are handymen and craftsmen in employment, MSR has a database with 14,000 individual profiles of these itinerant tradesmen, making it easy for ordinary citizens to acquire their services under safe and controlled conditions. MSR has also been involved in matching people with restoration programmes, such as repainting a court house to cleaning the zoo. Visit www.msr.org.za and start supporting the job creation drive.
Environmental Stewardship
Accenture’s corporate responsibility also extends to sustainably looking after the environment. The local head office has a global ISO 14001 certification and has saved more 12 percent on electricity since 2008, through the deployment of an energy monitoring meter. In addition, the company recycled 24,786 kilograms of white paper 30,088 kilograms of waste material, including plastic, polystyrene, cardboard, tin, glass and electronic waste in the last year.
Learn more about Corporate Citizenship at Accenture