  | |  | | | | Our Mission
To be the leading practitioner and thought leader in corporate social investment as informed by global trends, and build strength & capabilities through collaborative partnerships. | | At Absa, caring for our communities is as important to us as being great bankers. In fact, we see the two as being interlinked. We believe that through caring for our neighbours, we develop a better appreciation for people and, in so doing, we are better able to understand and serve our customers.
However, Absa recognises that social giving is not enough in its own right: for corporate social investment (CSI) to be truly effective and make an ongoing and meaningful difference to the lives of underprivileged people and to the overall economic wellbeing of the country, it needs to be well-managed and underpinned by the driving principle of sustainability. For this reason, the company adopts an integrated sustainability approach that encompasses all the Group’s stakeholders (hyperlink to stakeholders page). This approach ensures the effective and balanced management of the company’s economic, social and environmental relationships. | | | | | | Our strategic goals, government’s national development imperatives and with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals as translated for South Africa. The Absa Foundation provides governance, oversight, and funds to all CSI initiatives. Through Flagship programmes, significant partnerships and survivalist project partnerships at grass-roots level.
Projects and Focus Areas
Absa’s key focus areas within CSI have been selected to meet the company’s goal of improving the lives of people across South Africa, and are aligned with national development imperatives as highlighted by government. These key focus areas are: . | | |  | Education | | Entrepreneurship | | Health | | Employee Community Involvement | | Group-wide community initiatives | | Environment | | Heritage, Arts and Culture | |  |  | |  | | | | |  | |  | Absa aims to improve the quality of, and access to education particularly among the many rural and disadvantaged communities in South Africa, with a focus on Mathematics, Science and Technology and Early Childhood Development.
Flagship projects include:
» The Beyers Naudé Schools Development Programme, and the
» Absa/Sowetan Early Childhood Development Awards. | | | | | | | | | | |  | Unemployment and poverty are major challenges facing many South Africans today.
Absa’s focus is to help unemployed people find sustainable ways of earning a living with Job Creation, Skills Development and Survivalist projects.
Funding is provided for skills training, start-up capital and/or equipment as well as after-care support or mentorship. | | | | | | | | | | |  | Absa has a vibrant employee culture of social giving; and through the Employee Community Involvement programme, our employees volunteer their time, energy and financial resources to needy institutions.
Absa encourages and recognises such volunteer efforts through:
» The Matching Fund,
» Give As You Earn, and
» Reashoma. | | | | | | | | | | |  | In addition to individuals and groups of employees working together and partnering with community organisations, a number of divisions and business clusters are involved in CSI projects such as:
» Absa Sesego Cares,
» Absa Home Loans’ Project Vuka,
» Absa Retail Bank’s Bright Futures, and
» Personal Bank’s Talk Together Project. | | | | | | | | | | |  | Absa focuses on creating environmental awareness, education and conservation; with a view to preserving the country’s rich natural heritage and providing disadvantaged communities with trees and access to water; through partnerships with:
» The Peace Parks Foundation,
» World Wildlife Fund,
» Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, and
» The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. | | | | | | | | | | |  | The Absa Museum showcases the country’s financial and banking history, from primitive money to modern banking technology. The Absa Archives house extensive records stretching back to the origins of Johannesburg, and has spearheaded the establishment of an Archives Forum for Corporate Archives.
Absa has a long history of supporting the development of art with the aim to increase the richness, diversity and cultural expression of South Africa, with regular exhibitions at the Absa Gallery. | | | | | |
