CDF drives business with a heart in Tshwane

Spearheaded by the Capital City Business Chamber, one of Tshwane's business chambers, it urges businesses in this area to invest in the community in which it serves.

"This concept champions the idea that businesses benefit on the long run through the societies they empower. The foundation's main vision is to connect businesses and developing communities with each other to empower them to play a sustainable role in the transformation of communities within our city through connecting the marketplace to already existing social and community development projects," says Fanie du Plessis, CEO of the Capital City Business Chamber.

"Billions of rands get invested in communities across South Africa on an annual basis. However, the reality is that social development programmes in South Africa reflect a fragmented landscape of once-off projects. They are driven by a compliance culture and not by a vision of sustainable investment in the country. Of course, there are many success stories, but there is also a lot of waste. Success is only achieved by creating a climate of accountability and transparency between businesses and developing communities. This is what the CDF will take responsibility for."

Simplify social development strategies

It will assist to simplify well-planned, executed and maintained social development strategies within most businesses. It will facilitate strategic implementation of these plans across all fields of business and community development and join the needs of developing communities in South Africa with the ability of businesses to empower. It will provide the means by which social development and Corporate Social Investment (CSI) become the 'heart' of any business.

Increasingly more companies are investing in their surrounding and stakeholder communities. Similarly, more companies are finding ways to leverage their products and services to contribute to their community. The field of social development and CSI has become part of strategic management and has increasingly become more aligned with core business objectives with dedicated departments and structures.

As CSI has become strategic, so have companies become more concerned about its ROI. Working in partnership with core business partners and taking an active role in the project implementation process, is what the CDF aims to do. Its holistic approach determines that community wellbeing is essential and that sustainable poverty alleviation is the key to uplifting any community.

"It is important to realise that CSI is not a one-man show. On the contrary, it is a partnership between businesses and developing communities with the aim to take hands and to find solutions for our challenges. In joining forces we would be able to create a strong network of people who does 'Business with a Heart'," concludes Du Plessis.

For more, call du Plessis +27 (0)87 802 1021 or email az.oc.cbcc@einaf.