Sasol Limited Sustainability Report 2021 - Book - Page 36
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SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE AGAINST OUR FOCUS AREAS: GROWING SHARED VALUE – SASOL IN SOCIETY (CONTINUED)
Economic transformation and local content (continued)
Focus area
Market access
Capability
building
Purpose
Progress in Mozambique
Progress in South Africa
To create market access
opportunities through
participation in industry
events and creating
visibility of opportunities.
We launched the five-year local content plan
in Maxixe, Inhambane to make SMMEs aware
of the business opportunities Sasol offers in
Mozambique as well as our capacity-building
programmes. During roadshows in Govuru,
Inhassoro and Vilanculos, we presented business
opportunities, our economic development
fund and our workforce development plan.
This provided SMMEs with an opportunity to
showcase their company profiles, skills and
competencies to Sasol.
We launched the Linkage digital platform to make it simpler for Sasol and SMEs
to connect and do business together. Refer page 36.
To offer business and
technical support aligned
with procurement needs.
We developed a formal training programme
and selected suppliers to form part of the
group whose training will commence shortly,
depending on the COVID-19 restrictions.
Our Sasol Business Accelerator programme continues with both technical and
safety coaching sessions which we present and which focus on SMEs in electrical
services, equipment hire, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)
maintenance, welding and waste management.
We created market linkages for SMEs in sectors such as cathodic protection
services, landscaping, building maintenance as well as pallet supplies, resulting
in the creation of a number of jobs. We also hosted and participated in activities
alongside the 2020 Global Entrepreneur Week which took place in November
2020. Refer to page 36.
In the recycling space, we have supported a waste management SME as well as
a fenceline SME in plastic recycling. We also assisted an SME with registration
with the South African Waste Information Centre, enabling the collection and
reporting of the waste in the corporate environment.
We have funded and donated 1,4 tons of plastic to an SME which manufactures
plastic bricks and continue to support SMEs in the transport sector. During the
year, we provided further technical training and financial support to SMEs in the
electrical and instrumentation industry.
Funding
To broaden the
funding options for
beneficiaries at different
development levels.
We established a new credit line with BCI, a
commercial and investment bank in Mozambique,
to fund short- and long-term loans which provide
preferential interest rates to beneficiaries.
Slow economic activity continues to impact small businesses across South
Africa, which puts pressure on the Siyakha loan book, as some of SMEs struggle
to meet repayment obligations on their loans. The Siyakha team continues
to provide post-investment support to distressed SMEs and explore relief
measures.
We also provided various SMEs with grant funding to assist with the purchase
of equipment, raw materials, systems and accreditation.
Business support
To offer business support
programmes that enhance
value for SMEs.
Working from our office in Inhassaro, we
offer vocational training through internships
and bursary programmes. To support new
entrepreneurs, we also provide them with kits
with basic start-up tools.
The Built to Last SME Webinar Series was introduced as a platform geared
towards assisting SMEs in building sustainable businesses. The first webinar
in the four-part web series was held in May 2021, where industry expert
contributors were invited to motivate, share insights and provide practical tools
to SMEs to enable them to survive the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and
resulting economic conditions. Refer to page 36.
Dedicated Ariba and Accounting support for SMEs was introduced in the
Sasolburg and Secunda regions.
The ESD Business Development Programme training curriculum has been
expanded to include interventions focused on assisting SMEs in their response
to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Business
Infrastructure
To provide hardware
and software access to
small businesses.
The Secunda Small Business Centre, which was launched in June 2020, provides
a hot-desking solution, meeting rooms, printing/ scanner facilities, internet
access and other support to qualifying SMMEs, within the Secunda/ Gert
Sibande region. Access to specialised software such as Auto-CAD and Pallet
Design has also been made available. This service is also provided in Sasolburg
as part of the offering at the Incubation Centre.
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Sasol Sustainability Report 2021