Working Towards a Sustainable World

20 years of SAB KickStartSince the birth of SAB 120 years ago, the company has always placed an emphasis on using its growth to foster good. Not only good for its employees, but also good for the communities in which it operates.

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Even before sustainable development became part of the global agenda, SAB was committed to developing business practices that not only ensured continued prosperity for the business, but also for the communities in which it operates.

From as early as the mid-1970s, SAB dedicated significant portions of its budget towards improving the lives of local communities through education and healthcare. Over time, social development initiatives broadened in scope to include responsible drinking advocacy, small business development, as well as agricultural and environmental sustainability.

By the early 2000s, SAB had established an impressive portfolio of social upliftment programmes to improve the lives of countless South Africans. But it was not until over a decade later – backed by the global economic power of SABMiller – that SAB could fully realise its sustainable development ambitions, with the birth of the Prosper initiative in 2014.

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Prosper is a global sustainable development framework that gives unprecedented focus and ambition to SAB’s efforts towards collective good. By working with governments, NGOs, communities and the public, both locally and globally, Prosper asserts that SAB can make tangible change in the world, and leave a legacy far beyond beer.

The initiative’s goals are straightforward but profound, and clearly articulated in its five “shared imperatives”:

  • Accelerate growth and social development through the company’s value chain
  • Make beer a natural choice for moderate and responsible drinkers
  • Secure shared water resources for SABMiller’s businesses, local communities and ecosystems
  • Create value by reducing waste and carbon footprint throughout the value chain
  • Support responsible, sustainable use of land

“Prosper is a holistic approach to sustainable development and it is indicative of the kind of world that SAB wants to contribute towards, ” notes SAB Director Corporate Affairs and Transformation, Monwabisi Fandeso. “In South Africa, we made it our own and honed in on those issues which impact our country, our communities and our business.”

Over the last year, SAB’s Prosper efforts have seen significant success, not only in South Africa, but also on the continent.

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In addition to the launch of Prosper, 2014 also saw the establishment of a consolidated SABMiller African hub, with SAB at the helm of operations in 17 countries – an opportunity to not only bring prosperity to the nation of its birth, but also the continent.

In the last 12 months, SAB’s sustainable development efforts on the continent have included:

  • The expansion of the YouDecide initiative in South Africa, which has educated over half a million students on the consequences of underage drinking.
  • Utilising traditional local crops such as sorghum and cassava for beer production to create new markets for small-scale subsistence farmers. In Uganda, for example, Nile Breweries currently directly supports 20 000 farmers who grow sorghum for Eagle lager.
  • Negotiating landmark Water Resources Group partnerships in South Africa and Tanzania, to bring government and private stakeholders together to address a number of pressing water resource issues.
  • Establishing an exchange programme with the Royal Society in London to nurture scientific expertise on the continent, with the aim of driving innovation in agriculture, renewable energy, water security and sanitation.

2

While, over the years, SAB’s sustainable development efforts have had a profound impact on South Africans everywhere, it’s clear that this is just the beginning. Prosper promises to break new frontiers, with goals for the end of the decade that rival the achievements of the last 12.

Here’s to another 120 years of prosperity!

Hero
Since the birth of SAB 120 years ago, the company has always placed an emphasis on using its growth to foster good. Not only good for its employees, but also good for the communities in which it operates.

1

Even before sustainable development became part of the global agenda, SAB was committed to developing business practices that not only ensured continued prosperity for the business, but also for the communities in which it operates.

From as early as the mid-1970s, SAB dedicated significant portions of its budget towards improving the lives of local communities through education and healthcare. Over time, social development initiatives broadened in scope to include responsible drinking advocacy, small business development, as well as agricultural and environmental sustainability.

By the early 2000s, SAB had established an impressive portfolio of social upliftment programmes to improve the lives of countless South Africans. But it was not until over a decade later – backed by the global economic power of SABMiller – that SAB could fully realise its sustainable development ambitions, with the birth of the Prosper initiative in 2014.

2

Prosper is a global sustainable development framework that gives unprecedented focus and ambition to SAB’s efforts towards collective good. By working with governments, NGOs, communities and the public, both locally and globally, Prosper asserts that SAB can make tangible change in the world, and leave a legacy far beyond beer.

The initiative’s goals are straightforward but profound, and clearly articulated in its five “shared imperatives”:

  • Accelerate growth and social development through the company’s value chain
  • Make beer a natural choice for moderate and responsible drinkers
  • Secure shared water resources for SABMiller’s businesses, local communities and ecosystems
  • Create value by reducing waste and carbon footprint throughout the value chain
  • Support responsible, sustainable use of land

“Prosper is a holistic approach to sustainable development and it is indicative of the kind of world that SAB wants to contribute towards, ” notes SAB Director Corporate Affairs and Transformation, Monwabisi Fandeso. “In South Africa, we made it our own and honed in on those issues which impact our country, our communities and our business.”

Over the last year, SAB’s Prosper efforts have seen significant success, not only in South Africa, but also on the continent.

1

In addition to the launch of Prosper, 2014 also saw the establishment of a consolidated SABMiller African hub, with SAB at the helm of operations in 17 countries – an opportunity to not only bring prosperity to the nation of its birth, but also the continent.

In the last 12 months, SAB’s sustainable development efforts on the continent have included:

  • The expansion of the YouDecide initiative in South Africa, which has educated over half a million students on the consequences of underage drinking.
  • Utilising traditional local crops such as sorghum and cassava for beer production to create new markets for small-scale subsistence farmers. In Uganda, for example, Nile Breweries currently directly supports 20 000 farmers who grow sorghum for Eagle lager.
  • Negotiating landmark Water Resources Group partnerships in South Africa and Tanzania, to bring government and private stakeholders together to address a number of pressing water resource issues.
  • Establishing an exchange programme with the Royal Society in London to nurture scientific expertise on the continent, with the aim of driving innovation in agriculture, renewable energy, water security and sanitation.

1

While, over the years, SAB’s sustainable development efforts have had a profound impact on South Africans everywhere, it’s clear that this is just the beginning. Prosper promises to break new frontiers, with goals for the end of the decade that rival the achievements of the last 12.

Here’s to another 120 years of prosperity!