Abstract
M.A.
Corporate Social Investment (CSI) is a topical subject in South Africa as the country explores sustainable mechanisms for dealing with the triple socio-economic challenges of poverty, high unemployment, and growing social inequalities. The challenge of a skills shortage has been identified as a major inhibitor in the government’s attempts to ensure that previously disadvantaged individuals and communities play a meaningful role in the mainstream economy. Corporates have been identified as having a potentially important role towards the upliftment of their “host” communities. In this regard, a number of policies and related instruments have been introduced to create a framework for the private sector to give back to society. Corporate governance instruments such as the King III Report and the King Code of Governance Principles have made CSI imperative. The Code compels companies to report on the value and impact of their CSI efforts in communities. Furthermore, the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) codes have made it mandatory for corporates to give a minimum of 1 percent of their net profit after tax to communities in need.
The study sought to evaluate the impact of the Intsika Skills Beneficiation Project (ISBP), funded by the Nedbank Foundation through their CSI in its infancy stage, in 2008. The ISBP has a particular focus on skills development among the youth of Ekurhuleni. Ekurhuleni, one of the most densely populated municipalities in Gauteng, is plagued by various social ills such as a lack of employment opportunities – especially for the youth – crime, and alcohol and drug abuse. The study contributes to the evaluation of the impact of CSI and the skills development body of knowledge.
The nature of the study was augmented by a qualitative paradigm for the collection of data. In-depth interviews were used to gather data from the ISBP founder, the Nedbank CSI manager, as well as ISBP participants. The participants of the ISBP comprised those who have; completed the qualification and are economically active, completed but still searching for work, completed and are entrepreneurs, and lastly, those who dropped out of the programme. The study examined the jewellery manufacturing skills imparted to participants. Weaknesses in the ISBP programme were identified, which served to accentuate the low impact of the initiative...