Invest in your future

Overview

The Tower Group is committed to being an active and responsible corporate citizen. We aim to be a force for change and community vitality and our programmes are geared towards this goal.

Tower has developed an active strategy for community investment which is designed to establish and enhance the relationships between Tower and the communities in which we operate. In this positive way we can communicate our corporate values as well as our brand values to all stakeholders.

The Tower CSR Vision

To actively and positively engage small black-owned businesses which require capital to enable them to grow and become sustainable, ultimately allowing them to impact positively on the communities in which they operate. We further aim to be environmentally responsible and to inspire all our stakeholders and their communities to initiate positive change in their communities.

CSR Policy

The purpose of the Tower CSR Policy is to:

• Outline and communicate Tower’s CSR strategy and therefore our involvement in business and community development upliftment;
• Set out the goals, processes and procedures by which Tower will select, manage, and support its corporate social investment and related activities.

Tower’s Investment Footprint

• Tower CSR investments are mainly made to small black-owned businesses in SA.
• Tower, from time-to-time, invests in special programmes such as crime prevention and community upliftment.

The CSR focus areas outlined in this policy indicate the areas in which Tower, from time-to-time, shall direct investment of the company’s allocated funding.

The key focus area of the Tower CSR program is Entrepreneurship and Community Safety and Security. Within this:

• The primary focus is on: Supporting small black-owned business to grow and become sustainable
• The secondary focus is on: Community Safety & Security and Wellness

Criteria for CSR Programme Selection:

• Projects should allow small black-owned businesses in SA to grow and become sustainable
• Projects should focus on sustainability and entrepreneurship
• A clear sustainability plan must be in place for each business we support
• Organisations must be registered as black-owned SMME’s
• Application forms need to be completed and the shortlisted businesses will be subject to an interview with the CEO
• Feedback reports on use of investments must be submitted at least quarterly

Tower acknowledges the value of involving employees in our CSR activities of the company. To this end Tower will constantly endeavour to implement programmes that involve employee participation whilst also achieving the corporate objectives. 

General Exclusions

As part of its CSR Tower will not offer loans / financial support to:

• Formal or informal Conferences
• Non-SMME organisations and companies
• Individuals, or small groups in their personal capacity
• Travel, either by groups or individuals
• Political parties or groups with partisan political affiliations
• Labour unions
• Gala dinners and other fund-raising events
• Bursaries
• Sports Clubs

Enterprise Development

Painting Contractor – Kwazulu-Natal

Tower, during 2010, loaned on an interest-free basis, an amount of R20,000.00 to a small black-owned painting contracting business to allow them to expand their target market and to be able to undertake contracts outside of their immediate geographic area.

This has allowed the entrepreneur to increase the size and scope of his contracts business and to make it more sustainable in the longer-term.

Trader in Personal Care Products - Gauteng

During 2010 Tower donated R90,000.00 to a small, black-owned, entrepreneurial firm to establish a personal care product distribution business. The interest-free loan was used to purchase a mobile trailer which allowed the business to expand into other geographies.

Crime Prevention - National

The safety & security of our stakeholders and their communities is a key concern for Tower management. We constantly strive to ensure that our stakeholders live and work in safe communities.

Tower has, since 1998, been a corporate sponsor of the Khulisa Crime Prevention Initiative. Over the years our support has included, interest-free loans, donations, supply of office furniture, supply of computer equipment and involvement by Tower executives with Khulisa.

Two of Tower’s executives have been directors of Khulisa to ensure that the organisation’s goals are met. Tower is proud to be a long-term corporate sponsor of an NGO that is involved in the rehabilitation of young ex-offenders as well as many other community safety initiatives. It is gratifying that the programmes developed in SA by Khulisa have since been exported internationally and that the founder of Khulisa, Lesley-Anne van Selm, has been internationally recognised for her dedication to these vital community programmes.

Tower is proud of its involvement in such internationally recognised initiatives.

Environmental Awareness - National

Tower believes that we need long-term programmes to protect the environment. To this end Tower supports environmental protection programmes such as the Endangered Wildlife Trust.

Ad-Hoc CSR Initiatives

Tower also, occasionally, makes ad-hoc donations to benevolent / non-profit organisations. This is in instances where urgent intervention is required to worthy causes such as: 

• Office furniture and computer equipment donated to Khulisa Crime Prevention

• Office productivity equipment delivered to Kwa-Mathanda High School in Umlazi
  

Tower Branded Academies

Tower believes that if we continually develop our staff then we will be able to reach our corporate Vision of ensuring profitability for our clients.

To achieve this goal we recently initiated “Branded Academies” whereby we initiate continuous development programmes for assignees at our clients. These are ongoing education and training programmes through which we uplift the general skills of our assignees to ensure that they deliver the required value to our clients.

These academies aim to make a difference to the skill level of our assignees and to allow more assignees the opportunity of gaining permanent employment or higher-level assignments.

For more information regarding Tower's CSR projects or to submit a request, please contact the CEO, Peter Venter, in writing on fax 011 – 268-6863 or peterv@towergroup.co.za.