“Investing in and empowering of communities where we do business at Nestlé is part of our purpose. We believe that our company can only be successful in the long term by creating sustainable value both for our shareholders and for society.”
Bruno Olierhoek, Chairman and Managing Director of Nestlé East and Southern Africa Region (ESAR) echoed this commitment today, following an announcement that Nestlé South Africa received its Level 3 Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) certification.
This rating was attained after a thorough verification process by MAZARS – the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) accredited rating agency. The score is a two-level upward improvement from a previous Level 5 to Level 3. Research indicates that most multinationals that are operating in South Africa struggle to either comply or even attain higher levels when it comes to transformational initiatives around B-BBEE.
“To demonstrate our commitments, in 2019 we invested over R1,4 billion towards the B- BBEE procurement spend by empowering black suppliers and in turn, creating jobs through various Enterprise Development initiatives. This figure included investments of R52 million to support emerging black farmers through our dairy projects in the Eastern and Western Cape as well as incremental spend of R100 million on black rural development projects across the country, ” added Olierhoek.
“As a food manufacturing company, our activities and products should make a positive difference to society whilst contributing to Nestlé’s ongoing success. Achieving a Level 3 rating as a multinational company is therefore a reflection of our dedication and commitment to the objective of transformation, inclusion as well as South Africa’s developmental agenda,” added Tania Hector, Human Resources Director at Nestlé ESAR.
Reflecting on Nestlé’s transformation journey in South Africa, Olierhoek emphasized that this improved rating has spurred Nestlé towards continuing to drive enterprise and socio-economic development strategies as these are aligned its organisational business principle.
“A business thrives when it has a healthy, diverse and engaged workforce that reflects society. We will continue driving youth and women empowerment programmes, upskilling initiatives and strengthening relationships we have built with our suppliers and partners; not only in South Africa but across our region.”
Ends.
Contact
Zweli Mnisi
082 312 8940
Corporate Spokesperson
Nestlé East and Southern Africa Region
About Nestlé
Nestlé is the world’s largest food and beverage company. It is present in 187 countries around the world, and its 291,000 employees are committed to Nestlé’s purpose of unlocking the power of food to enhance quality for everyone, today and for generations to come. Nestlé offers a wide portfolio of products and services for people and their pets throughout their lives. Its more than 2,000 brands range from global icons like Nescafé or Nespresso to local favorites like Ninho *. Company performance is driven by its Nutrition, Health and Wellness strategy. Nestlé is based in the Swiss town of Vevey where it was founded more than 150 years ago.