By Leigh Andrews

Social upliftment; CSI; CSR; CSA (Corporate Social Activity) – call it what you will, but this is often an integral part of corporate South Africa’s mandate. While most communications organisations specialise in corporate citizenship; social responsibility; and development initiatives, I’ve also recently written about companies embarking on CSI just to ‘look good’, as they claim that they are environmentally-friendly as they recycle their old office paper and that they offer ‘green’ services.

There are a number of strong CSI initiatives out there, where companies go beyond trying to improve their BEE ratings and actually get involved to improve the lives of others. Internal corporate wellness programmes are also known to relieve stress and illness in the workplace and improve performance.

The Outsurance social responsibility programme, as part of the First Rand Group, has been turning heads all over the country, with its green and purple-clad traffic pointsmen and the caring staff actively engaging in CSI initiatives which we have all seen on TV. The FirstRand Group is committed to the South African democracy and good corporate citizenship and aims to improve the quality of life of all South Africans, based on President Thabo Mbeki’s appeal to all South Africans in February 2002 to “rise up and do something”, asking South Africa to become a society of volunteers.

What better way to understand the true spirit of CSA than by actually getting involved in such activities… experiencing the initiatives from ‘the other side of the fence’, by taking part in CSI, as opposed to merely writing about them? Newsclip offers the perfect vehicle for this with its ‘Newsclip Cares’ committee.

Newsclip’s HC Manager, Helen Wasley, explains that the company has always been committed to assisting the community. The Care committee is a team of Newsclip staff that represents every department – in this way, everyone gets involved. The team puts forward suggestions of charities in need of support, and from there, decides which charities to support for the year, structuring its outreach programmes accordingly. While different initiatives have been run externally to support the Arum Lily Trust; Sparrows Aids Village; and the Millennium Old Age Centre among others, the overarching message brought across is always that: “We may not be able to change the world, but with love and care, we will impact and change lives.” This is, in my mind, the true essence of CSA

Newsclip also ‘shows it cares’ internally, with its Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). In today’s climate, where people are often so quick to ‘pass the buck’ and isolate themselves, we need to find ways to show that we care. HC Manager, Helen Wasley, adds that HR teams have a moral duty to educate and help their staff. “We may not be able to change the world, but together we can and will change lives.” Wasley says that: “unless one addresses the imbalances or ‘strains’ on the economy that form part of CSR, such as HIV programmes and visiting retirement villages, ‘feel good initiatives’ that include investing in the community through arts and cultural initiatives are pointless and one-sided.” Inspiring words.

Wasley ends by stating that corporates can make a difference. “Together we can change lives, and it takes very little to do so.” Advice to corporates out there - while material investments are important, love and care are free. Many times, that is all that’s needed. So yes, do get on the CSA ‘bandwagon’, but make sure you have the right intentions at heart and that you are aiming to improve the living conditions for others, as opposed to merely making your company look good. This is a key component of CSA - giving of one’s time and expertise to uplift the community, rather than money, which is often seen as an ‘insensitive gesture’ as donations qualify a company for tax exemptions or rebates, and therefore, mainly to their own benefit. By embarking on a knowledge-sharing drive, and giving examples from your experience in the industry, you are not merely ‘doing well by doing good’ for yourself, but by ‘doing good’ for others, too – and this is the true spirit of corporate social investment and responsibility.


The great thing about embarking on CSI initiatives and employee wellness programmes, such as the holistic wellness programme run by Isuzu; and Highveld Stereo, which views its involvement in such projects as “a necessary part of its existence in the city in which it broadcasts”, is. that the loss of productivity in the office is minimal, as participation in such events is a great staff motivator.


What are your thoughts – do most CSA initiatives run by corporate South Africa under the radar? Have you come across other inspiring examples? Leave your comments on our blog.