Global recognition for Standard Bank Group

The award effectively recognises the best workplace AIDS programme in the world.

Speaking from New York, where the announcement was made at a gala event last night, Clive Tasker, Chief Executive of Standard Bank Africa, said: “This important international award provides the Standard Bank Group with objective peer feedback and global recognition of the value and impact of its employee programme, as well as of the community initiatives Standard Bank funds and supports.”

Standard Bank has developed and implemented one of the most comprehensive HIV/Aids workplace programmes in Africa. Starting in the group's South African operations in 2001, its education, awareness and disease management programme has now been rolled out to 16 countries in Africa.

“We have strategically integrated our HIV/AIDS management with our company's risk mitigation philosophy, which extends to overall health and wellness,” explains Sipho Ngidi, Executive Director Group Human Resources.

“Our workplace programme enables us to look after our employees' wellness, increasing productivity and reducing costs incurred due to loss or lost time. It also facilitates our involvement - through awareness and education initiatives as well as sponsorship and investment - in the communities in which we operate.”

Previous winners in the same category include Chevron (2007) and Unilever (2008).

Standard Bank's HIV/AIDS programme involves an interactive framework of external and internal services, benefits and campaigns which are managed through the Group's corporate health department.

The scope of the bank's programme - across 16 countries and five timelines - is unique, as is its scale: reaching over 40 000 African employees, together with their immediate family members.

Standard Bank currently spends R60 million a year on its wellness programme (including HIV/AIDS initiatives). Some R25 million of this is allocated to African operations. In addition, one percent of after-tax income from the Group's South African operations is allocated to social investment activities in the country with one of the areas being a focus on health and welfare.

Key components of the programme include the internal health and wellness programme; the wellness champions which are staff volunteer peer educators; the external independent counselling and advisory services known as ICAS; medical aid; Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT); health risk assessments; alignment of HIV/Aids issues with company policies - in particular the life-threatening disease policy and the total and temporary incapacity (TTI) benefit; communication and education (internal and external); and strategic business alliances.

A major focus of the programme is the community interaction which is largely driven by the 715 trained wellness champions who provide education and support (about HIV/AIDS and wellness) not only to their work colleagues but also to the banks' customers and the broader community - including schools, church groups and community organisations.

Speaking from New York, Carol O'Brien, Director, Global Business Coalition (GBC), Africa Office said: “It is critical that private sector involvement in the fight against HIV/Aids, TB and Malaria be robust and impactful. Standard Bank certainly has shown what it means to be seriously motivated and involved in stemming the impact of the HIV/Aids pandemic across their African operations. They have shown their resolve to address the issues among their own staff, and demonstrated how this begins to have positive spin-offs in the wider communities. We are proud that Standard Bank is a member of the GBC and a GBC award winner for 2008.”

Brad Mears of the South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS commended the bank for the award. “HIV/Aids is possibly the greatest developmental, social, medical and ethical challenge facing our future. Standard Bank has shown that it is serious about its people and about working with communities and working with other business players in curbing the pandemic across Africa,” he said.

“The GBC Award for Business Excellence for the best HIV/AIDS Workplace Programme underscores our commitment to being socially relevant in the environments in which we operate. It also highlights that when we provide a healthy, supportive and an enabling environment for our people, the positive impact reaches beyond the confines of the bank,” said Tasker.

For more information, kindly contact:

Standard Bank South Africa
Arno van Haght
Tel: +27 11 636 5671
Email: