Making South Africa’s National Development Plan a reality

The two key objectives of the NDP have been identified as the elimination of poverty and the reduction of inequality by 2030.

The National Planning Commission – the body responsible for the NDP – has been clear that this bold ambition will only be achieved through collaboration and shared responsibility. As such, the NDP makes recommendations on the role different sectors of society – including that of big business – need to play.

No one person, organisation or institution will deliver this transformation alone but as one of the biggest private companies in South Africa, and one of the largest mining companies in the world, Anglo American recognises that it has an important part to play.

The mining industry has been, and remains, integral to South Africa’s economic development – accounting for approximately 17 percent of GDP in 2012. However, the impact of the industry, and Anglo American in particular, goes far beyond GDP.

In the mid-1950s Anglo American founder Ernest Oppenheimer made the memorable observation that it was the responsibility of the business to create a “real and lasting contribution” to the communities in which it operates. These words remain at the heart of the way Anglo American conducts its business today.

One of the most enduring examples of Anglo American’s commitment to community development and poverty alleviation is its Chairman’s Fund. Launched in the late 1950s, the Chairman’s Fund was established as a dedicated vehicle through which Anglo American could drive its social investment spend. Over the years, investments have ranged from small grassroots initiatives to major capital-building projects and large-scale service delivery programmes in partnership with provincial and national authorities. Focus areas include HIV/AIDS, healthcare, education, and entrepreneurial development.

Since 2010, when the NDP was established, the Chairman’s Fund has partnered with more than 1,000 projects and invested more than ZAR 350 million. Today, the Chairman’s Fund is the leading corporate donor in South Africa and in 2013 it was named the top corporate social investment grant-maker in South Africa for the eighth time.

It is no accident that the approach and ethos of the Chairman’s Fund very much aligns to the expectations of ‘big business’ set out in the NDP. Anglo American has long partnered with government and host communities to ensure effective and sustainable investment opportunities and it is this collective approach that has been highlighted in the NDP.

The Chairman’s Fund is proof that with shared ambition, shared responsibility and a collaborative spirit, South Africa can make its plan a reality.