Corporate Social Responsibility

 
 

Corporate Social Responsibility

AdvanceNet is proud to be involved with numerous social responsibility projects.

 

As a company, we believe that helping our community is not only a responsibility as individuals, but an integral part of being successful as a company.

 

AdvanceKidz

The AdvanceKidz initiative was started in 2006 and is designed to assist all employees earning less than a specified amount. They have the opportunity for their children to receive education at a better level and with better facilities where their remuneration is insufficient to provide this elevated level. The initiative is currently paying all the costs for 18 children from the ages of 1 year to 17 years to attend pre nursery, nursery, junior and senior schools in areas that they live, as in the case of outside of Gauteng, or in the Rivonia, Sunninghill area if they live with their parents in the surrounding area. The company pays all the education costs directly to the education institution, including extra mural activities and meals and is negotiated directly between the company and the education provider. A limited amount of clothing is provided and all children are supplied with a new satchel at the beginning of each year. Most of the children come to our offices every day with their parents and are then bussed to the respective schools either by AdvanceNet transport or by the service provided by the school. Substantial acceleration of the learning process is being reported in every single case and many children who would otherwise be limited to the facilities available in the poorer townships are given the opportunity to progress far beyond what could otherwise be made available to them by their parents. Children who would otherwise be left with a day care facility are able to get into the education stream from as early as 1 year of age. The scheme has put the company at the forefront of social responsibility initiatives in South Africa.

 

AdvanceKhaya

AdvanceKhaya is a social upliftment programme designed to improve the quality of life of all unskilled and semi-skilled staff employed by the Company. While our minimum wage employees are remunerated at over twice that of the minimum determined by the Department of Labour, it is our experience that very little disposable income typically remains for individuals employed in entry level positions after the costs of transportation have been provided for. It is for this reason that we have introduced a housing allowance for all employees who earn less than a certain amount each month, a benefit intended to ensure that we are doing our utmost to provide our staff with a reasonable quality of life. While delighted by the fact that this initiative provides our employees with the means to better house, feed, educate and clothe themselves and their families, we are also proud of our contribution to the alleviation of poverty in South Africa by means of this initiative.

My School, My Planet

AdvanceNet is a proud supporter of the MySchool Programme, South Africa’s foremost fund raising initiative for schools. Every new employee is given a MySchool card when they join the Company.

Learners Licenses

Every employee, irrespective of their position within the company, is given the opportunity to obtain their driver’s license though the company. The costs of any driving lessons required and the test itself are covered by the company and over 20 employees have completed, or are in the process of completing, their licenses to date..

Charity Drive
 

In 1999 the Company embarked on its first annual year-end charity initiative, a programme which incorporates a marketing drive with a charity fundraiser. All customers, suppliers and other stakeholders are sent an electronic greetings card, in lieu of a traditional card, thanking them for their support during the year and wishing them a happy festive season.

By sending out an electronic card instead of the traditional paper-based alternative, the Company saves approximately R15 per card which is then donated to a charity selected by the recipient from a list predefined by the Company. Over R 440 000 has been donated to various worthy causes since this initiative was started.

Furthermore, in an interesting recent development, a number of South African and international companies have requested our assistance with the implementation of their own, similar programmes – an exciting extension of a successful home-grown idea.