Skills development and Corporate Social Investment

The group continues with its substantial investment in the development of employees at all levels and spent R171 million on skills development and training during the year.

To date 153 senior executives have completed a leadership programme which was customised for Imperial’s diversified and decentralised business model focusing on its need for entrepreneurial and innovative leaders. The group’s formal development strategy also includes the next level of management, with 74 having graduated during the past year. We have 139 participants currently enrolled in the programme.

A future talent pipeline is being nurtured through a graduate development programme which currently provides 108 university graduates with hands-on workplace experience and mentorship, providing insight into the Imperial culture and the practical skills required in business.

Our three Technical Training Academies are some of the largest providers of technical training in the South African market and provided training for over 610 technical apprentices during the year.

Ukhamba

Since its establishment, Ukhamba has generated significant value from its investments. The Ukhamba Trust owns 47% of Ukhamba and the Ukhamba Community Development Trust owns 6%. A portion of the value created was realised and paid out to Ukhamba’s shareholders during December 2011. As a result, the Ukhamba Trust made a distribution of approximately R350 million to its 15 000 beneficiaries. The Imperial and Ukhamba Community Development Trust also received a payout of approximately R50 million which will serve as a valuable endowment for education into the future. The trust continues to promote effective learning and teaching at eight under privileged schools serving 10 000 learners in Gauteng.

I-Pledge campaign

By August 2012, more than 72 000 individuals committed to being part of a movement towards safer roads in South Africa by taking the IMPERIAL I-Pledge as part of our group’s extensive road safety campaign.

For Imperial as South Africa’s transportation leader, road safety is a social and a commercial imperative. Using our geographic footprint and network of companies, customers and suppliers, Imperial believes that it can make a real and sustainable difference to the state of road safety in the country.

During the past 12 months Imperial I-Pledge aligned with various organisations and road safety stakeholders, including the Department of Transport as a Friend of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020; the N3 Toll Concession (N3TC); Top Gear Festival as the official CSI partner and Active Education.

We sponsored vehicles to assist with law enforcement on the N3 over the festive seasons and saw accident fatality rates drop. We also found that unaccompanied children on the roads are extremely vulnerable and therefore we stage road safety talks at schools and train scholar patrols.