Page 9 - 25 Reasons

nglo American Zimele’s new head, Larisha
Naidoo, who was appointed to the position in
AApril last year, says she and her team would
like to be part of the collective that will “address
some of the national priorities that exist right now”.
These include the creation of small and medium-
sized businesses and the employment of young
people in a country where 55.2% were jobless in the
first quarter of this year.
Anglo American Zimele’s 30th year of existence has
been marked by a new approach. Over three decades,
it provided small, medium and micro-sized enterprises
(SMMEs) with funding, supporting 2 300 of them and
more than 50 000 jobs.
But more needs to be done, says Naidoo: “We’ve
been helping people stand on their own feet for over
30 years and will continue with this single-minded
aim – but differently. Our initial goal was to enable
black South Africans to participate in the economy,
but current unemployment levels in our country
mean that providing funding is simply not enough.
“Our shift in approach will see us focus on
mentorship as much as enabling funding to build
sustainable SMMEs that can grow their businesses
and, in turn, create and sustain jobs. Our repositioning
forms an integral part of Anglo American’s ambitious
Sustainable Mining Plan. One of the pillars of the plan
is to create thriving communities in the areas in which
we operate. One way of creating a thriving
community in the Zimele instance is to create five
jobs off-site for every job on-site in our host Larisha Naidoo, the head of Anglo American Zimele PHOTO: CEBILE NTULI
communities. I am excited about the impact this new
approach will deliver as it shows our commitment to
help communities thrive.” MINING
Over a four-year period, Anglo American Zimele will
help develop 2 500 entrepreneurs through enterprise
development, as well as aid 900 suppliers through its
jobs by the end of 2022. And, through an investment HUMAN POTENTIAL
supplier development programme.
Taken together, this will support a projected 10 000
of R448 million, and a further R80 million annually in
loans to SMMEs, the plans also include the training of Anglo American Zimele goes ‘beyond the mine’ to
2 500 young people to be ready for the workplace.
The three key programmes that underpin Anglo improve people’s lives, writes Nicki Güles
American Zimele’s new strategy are: development teams. The hubs will focus on
the hospitality industry. Yet another is with Absa, ‘‘ acumen, strategic thinking, market orientation,
. Enterprise development through greater
mentorship and by increasing the pace of economic
development around Anglo American’s operations;
. Supplier development by leveraging Anglo
supporting SMMEs in areas including business
American’s existing inclusive procurement spend and
leadership, project management and financial
by helping host community suppliers access new
markets; and
planning.
. Youth development through training for relevant
“Supplier development is about how we encourage
skills that make economic opportunities more
and support our entrepreneurs with tools and
I’m amazed
partners that go beyond Anglo American’s business
accessible for young people in host communities.
To do this, Anglo American Zimele is looking at
units. We look at them as potentially having the drive
at the number
to go to bigger strategic buyers within the local
creative partnerships – with the company’s inclusive
procurement teams as well as external collaborations
to the mining industry,” Naidoo says.
that impact women and young people. One
Anglo American Zimele’s three-month youth
so brilliant, and
partnership afoot is to train young people for work in
development programme involves “the participant
who need
understanding who they are – from their personalities
which will manage the loans Anglo American Zimele of people who are environment, or even better strategic partners linked
provides to entrepreneurs. to their skill sets – and setting personal goals”, and
To step up its development capacity, Anglo to be engaged figuring out whether entrepreneurship is an option for
American Zimele, with its lead partner TechnoServe, them. Skills the young participants are taught include
has rolled out eight of the 10 hubs it has planned in and encouraged how to compile a proper CV, where to look for
the host communities in which Anglo American opportunities, and how to manage their money and
operates. Sponsored by Anglo American’s four to achieve run a budget.
business units, the hubs will contain training space, “I’m amazed at the number of people who are so
mentorship and coaching areas, and computers and their goals brilliant, and who need to be engaged and
access to Wi-Fi, and will be staffed with business encouraged to achieve their goals,” Naidoo says.
ANGLO AMERICAN 25 REASONS TO BELIEVE 9