About R10, 7 billion was invested by corporate South Africa in communities back in 2020.
A chunk of this amount (an estimated 69%) was donated by mining, water and forestry companies, according to Trialogue.
The largest amount was ploughed in Gauteng (52%), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (35%) and Western Cape (28%).
Although not mandatory, food security and agriculture received the most from corporate South Africa, along with disaster relief efforts.
Similar to countries like Gabon and Nigeria, South Africa has regulated CSI for businesses in the oil and mining sectors. It is not clear who regulates CSI in other sectors or who keeps an index of contributions by sector.
Banks raked in a combined revenue of R100 billion in 2022 according to statistica. Standard Bank Group had the highest assets in 2022, of about USD 170 billion, FirstRand (USD 98. 8 billion) and Absa Bank (USD 84. 7 million).
Wiredspace from WITS reported big companies spend 1% on social investment initiatives.
The Development Bank of Southern Africa, reported net profit of R3. 8 billion in 2022, up by 168%.
A moving contribution recently by the DBSA, was building a bridge over the Uhlanjana River in Mhlabuyalingana, in KwaZulu-Natal.
More than 120 children and community members who placed their lives at risk to get to school and clinic, now have a bridge.
The bridge provides multiple spin offs for authorities and business in the area, to the benefit of Jozini and uMhlabuyalingana local municipalities.
Relatively smaller companies like the GAP Infrastructure Corporation (GIC) donated a standpipe and metered water to each home within a community in the Dawid Kruiper Local Municipal area of Upington, that had lived without running water for 10 years.
Picture: East Coast Radio and DBSA