Benchmarking South Africa's best employers

Those companies featured in this fourth edition have demonstrated an inspirational approach towards the management and development of their people – their most important resource in a changing and increasingly culturally-diverse corporate landscape. Research conducted by CRF aims to recognise this achievement and to benchmark it.

The Best Companies to Work for in South Africa 2004 is published in close partnership with Finance Week (with a readership of 85 000 per week), in association with the Black Management Forum (BMF) and City Press (with a readership of approximately 2,43 million), and is endorsed by three key South African industry associations – the Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut (AHI), the Institute of People Management (IPM) and the Association of Personnel Service Organisations (APSO).

A variety of companies in diverse sectors are profiled: from global giants to specialised niche-market suppliers. All have been analysed on macro- and micro-business factors.

A team of leading academics has worked closely with CRF to ensure that the updated selection criteria, are relevant and topical. Companies that agreed to be included in the initial research opened their doors to business journalists on CRF's research team, who, through interviews with key directors and staff, confirmed whether a company qualified for selection and publication. Only those selected for publication have made a financial contribution towards the research, writing, production, marketing and distribution costs of the title.

The book's Top Ten section, selected by a team of academics, journalists and associations, headed by Professor Frank Horwitz, truly reflects South Africa 's best employers in 2004 – with SABMiller in first place.

Three new sections have been included in this year's edition, considerably expanding the reach of the book into the human resources arena: a Training and Development section profiling several leading business schools and training institutions; a Recruitment section covering agencies throughout South Africa; and an Advertisement Gallery, which offers unique services to human resources professionals.

Due to the unprecedented success of the previous editions of this title, it appears in hard cover for the first time this year and will be published annually from now on. This new edition is destined to become an invaluable desktop reference to its wide-ranging audience, which includes business and human resource professionals and analysts, investors, stakeholders, clients, journalists, students, recruitment agents, as well as current and future employees of the companies profiled.

CRF is an independent international organisation that initiates, co-ordinates and delivers international business research projects worldwide. CRF originated in the Netherlands in 1992 and today has offices in seven countries on three continents. The South African CRF office has been operating since 1997 and will publish and launch two new titles in 2003: Top ICT Companies in South Africa 2003/4 (third edition) and The Best Companies to Work for in South Africa 2004 (fourth edition). The second edition of South Africa's Leading Managers will be launched early in 2004, bringing CRF's publications to a total of 12 since 1997. CRF represents a combined initiative of business journalists, academics, associations and international publishers. It manages the research, writing, editing, production, marketing and distribution of all its publications.

Publication details:
Title: The Best Companies to Work for in South Africa: 2004
Publication date: 26 November 2003
Contact: Corporate Research Foundation
Maryann Gillett
Tel: +27 (21) 424-6003
E-mail:
Website: www.researchfoundation.com

Recommended retail price: R149,95

This book is available at the end of November from the following outlets: Exclusive Books and selected CNA stores nationwide; Wordsworth, Van Schaik, Juta's and The Bookshop (Western Cape); Estoril, Red Pepper book stores (Gauteng); Incredible Books (Pretoria), Cascades, Adams & Co (KwaZulu-Natal) and Mast Book Shop (Pietermaritzburg), and via the Internet through www.kalahari.net and www.exclusivebooks.com.

CRF distributes thousands of books in South Africa and internationally to ensure global exposure of South Africa's best employers.