Blue Label continuously supports suppliers and enterprises defined within the vulnerable groups through procurement.
Procurement suppliers
FY23
EME
126
QSE
74
Generic
200
50% BO
150
30% BWO
93
In FY24 comparatives will be included in the above table.
Through our supplier development funding, we were able to create two jobs each for two different small businesses.
Blue Label's commitment to sustainable economic development is not purely confined to just an add-on. This is our code. Our purpose is to drive financial inclusion, opportunities and convenience for the mass market through digital distribution and e-tech ecosystems. This purpose extends to focus on youth skills development and socio-economic and enterprise development. From inception, the aim has always been to make a difference in people's lives. Consequently, we have changed many lives by providing the tools to earn a living.
In our case, we are truly purpose-driven and recognise that delivering value ultimately depends on continuously paving the way to create an inclusive business with the small businesses within communities. We have an extensive track record of fostering economic and social development in South Africa by ensuring the availability of products and services for those with low incomes and who have been previously disadvantaged.
We are committed and aware that our social responsibility continues to generate value for all.
We have vetted all flagship beneficiaries and where possible, linked beneficiaries together to make a greater impact on the community that we serve. Due to the fact that we are focusing on existing flagship beneficiaries, no new flagship beneficiaries will be added for FY24.
The following are our current flagship beneficiaries:
Boys and Girls Club
Christel House
Women and Men Against Child Abuse
Sound of Celebration
Home Growers
Sean Smith Boxing (smithsgym)
Projects completed in FY23, over and above flagship donations:
We are supporting our merchants in order to enable them to operate our devices during load shedding and electricity outages, by supplying over 400 BLD merchants in need with solar inverters. This improves our business while caring for our merchants' businesses.
Supporting Christel House in education and workplace readiness and building character for unemployed people in the community by collaborating in a programme to join our U-Belong family in Cape Town. This provides employment following the completion of the programme.
Approved Blue Label subsidiary projects:
Trust Blu U-Belong, co-funding project and T3SA as the implementation partner which will provide job opportunities for over 1 000 learners and the possible opportunity to open their own businesses after two years.
Adopt-a-School project as well as extending technology centres.
Over the past two years, we have selected and built relationships with the above-mentioned flagship beneficiaries that align with our purpose. We aim to create an ecosystem whereby we can work together. See our
Trust Blu Report at About – Trust Blu Foundation for further detail.
Enterprise development:
Supporting Sizanani to equip the business in order to operate in the mainstream economy by building infrastructure in the community, connecting the community and supplying solar electricity for approximately 200 households.
We continuously encourage our employees to partake in SED initiatives and giving back to the community.
Our employees have the opportunity to become involved in our social responsibility programmes, which to name a few are as follows:
They have donated and distributed two tons of clothing and bedding to KwaZulu-Natal during the floods in order to assist them during such difficult times, and their communities in a very difficult time;
Our employees and some of our subsidiaries have contributed to establishing "Hug in a Box" for one of our beneficiaries whose main purpose is to care for abused individuals and children; and
Our employees have donated books to a library to one our beneficiaries that operates in the community and provides after-school programmes.
We are responsive to the community that we serve. Our largest contribution to society is in the ordinary course of our business. We have many informal market merchants that form part of our vast footprint selling our virtual products in the community.
We will continue to invest in and create sustainable programmes in education in order to provide employment and entrepreneurship for a better future.
While we are committed to a blended learning approach to staff development, we are proud of The Blue Label Academy, our internal e-learning training academy, which aims at providing training and development to all staff regardless of where they are located in South Africa.
Staff members are able to select business and technical courses, and complete these courses on-line, at their own pace and in their own time. Training contributes towards individual performance assessment for Blue Label Telecoms Group staff.
In addition to the e-learning initiative, staff members have the opportunity of registering and completing formal classroom-based training. These modules help us to enhance the skillset of the lower to middle levels of staff. Modules offered range from customer service training to supervisory skills for middle management.
Blue Label Distribution provides product-based training through the “My Track” portal, which is a multi-purpose tool for product-related communication, training, and is used to house up-to-date product-related content. Each staff member loads a training plan that is specific to their job role, and progresses from Baby Blu (the induction course), via Light Blu and finally to Tru Blu. My Track allows us to monitor staff progress and ensure everybody is up to date with the latest products, services, policies and procedures.
Where necessary, senior management and executives participate in guided coaching programmes aimed at enhancing their strategic thinking and leadership skills.
Within the Blue Label Telecoms Group, the total spend on training for the 2016 financial year was R7 million (2015: R5.4 million).
Learnerships
Every year we provide a number of SETA-accredited learnerships in technology, financial accounting, and end-user computing. Each learner is mentored and assisted through their learnership to ensure it is completed successfully for the learner to obtain the relevant qualification. We strive to include female learners, and people living with disability.
Our socio-economic development focus relates to youth, sports development, and technological development and in 2016, we spent R6.5 million on socio-economic development projects. Where possible, we aim to support projects in which staff are actively involved. Our flagship project is the club house for the Protea Glen Boys and Girls Club of South Africa, which we built in partnership with Boys and Girls Club of SA and Tupperware SA. This club offers facility-based after-school programmes for 200 school-going young people between the ages of 6 and 19, supervised by trained professionals who provide structured activities for each day. Attendees are offered a meal, academic supervision and various extramural activities, such as technology, sport, drama, music and art. The club aims to enhane the current education system, while grounding children in a holistic and value-based educational philosophy, ultimately for their own protection and development.
In line with B-BBEE codes, we focus on enterprise and supplier development by providing financial assistance and strategic support to ZOK, a qualifying enterprise focused on empowering young, budding entrepreneurs from previously disadvantaged communities. ZOK supports these entrepreneurs by equipping them with a fully functional container for selling prepaid airtime and electricity as well as other retail offerings.
Preferential Procurement
Wherever possible, the Group continues to source goods and services from B-BBEE-compliant suppliers.