Wilderness Holdings' intergrated report receives recognition

Firstly winning the Regionally Listed Companies category in the Chartered Secretaries of Southern Africa and JSE's 2013 Annual Report Awards, and secondly the Best Corporate Report and Accounts in the Commerce and Industry Sector in PricewaterhouseCoopers' Annual Report Awards, hosted by the Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry and Manpower (BOCCIM).

This recognition comes after numerous awards received earlier in 2013, including the Integrated Report being ranked first in the JSE's Travel, Hotels and Tourism sector in the Sustainability Data Transparency Index (SDTI) and sixth overall across all sectors, as well as fifth best report globally in the Corporate Register Reporting Awards (CRRA) for 2013.

"This acknowledgement of our efforts is incredibly rewarding and testament to the fact that our report demonstrates the degree to which sustainability is inextricably woven into the daily fabric and philosophy of our business. These awards also give us the opportunity to ensure and demonstrate that we are operating in accordance with best international practice and to remain Africa's leading sustainable tourism organisation", said Derek de la Harpe, Wilderness Holdings' chief sustainability officer.

By successfully integrating its financial and 4Cs sustainability framework into one coherent report, Wilderness Holdings has demonstrated that each aspect of its business - Commerce, Conservation, Community and Culture - is as important as the other. The company has to do well in order to affect change - but it has also demonstrated that, by making a difference, it can also create value for its shareholders.