THE DEVELOPMENT AND UPLIFTMENT OF THE COUNTRY HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF PRIMEDIA'S ETHOS
OVERVIEW
As a South African company, the development and upliftment of the country has always been an important part of Primedia's ethos. During the year under review, the Primedia Foundation was established, conceived as the logical development of a board sub-committee called Primecare, to manage and coordinate the group's corporate social investment. It has two primary functions:
- To act as the umbrella body for all CSI projects supported by the Primedia group; and
- To monitor and encourage individual companies within the Primedia group to initiate CSI projects.
A full report of all CSI projects, both those of the group and of individual Primedia companies, can be found in The Primedia Foundation: Corporate Social Investment Report 2005, which accompanies this report.
GROUP PROJECTS
The Primedia Foundation oversees the following six group projects:
Primedia Skills Development
Primedia Skills Development was established as a community development project through seed funding by Primedia Limited. It has Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) status, and operates from the Alexandra Motswedi Centre in Alexandra Township in Johannesburg. The project assists young, unemployed adults enter the mainstream of society, through the provision of vocational training, job placement and career guidance services.
Since its establishment in mid-2001, it has trained in excess of 800 people, the majority of whom have been drawn from Alexandra, in skills such as bricklaying, carpentry, plumbing, painting and decorating, plastering, tiling and paving.
Primedia bursary programme
The Primedia Foundation awards bursaries to deserving candidates studying at universities with which it has signed agreements. In 2005, the Foundation awarded 15 bursaries to students at the Universities of Johannesburg and the Free State, who all passed their first semester examinations. Twenty-five bursaries will be awarded in 2006 in addition to a new bursary scheme with the University of South Africa ("UNISA").
The Sangoni High School project
Through its partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Primedia Limited spent R3 million on renovating the Sangoni High School in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape. Most of the current structure of the school is being renovated, and nine new classrooms, a staff room, two office and a store room are being built.
The CIDA City Campus project
CIDA City Campus is a non-profit educational institution, offering a Bachelor of Business Administration degree to disadvantaged students. The Primedia group established a campus radio station – Triple C – for CIDA and provided training and technical support to the students. In addition, Ster-Kinekor provided 1 500 free movie tickets, which are used as a reward system for students who effectively assist in the running of the campus.
The Tipa project
Tipa (Techno-agricultural Innovation for Poverty Alleviation) is a drip irrigation agricultural project established by the Israeli Embassy, together with Ikamva Labantu and the JD Group.
The Primedia Foundation has introduced the concept into four group projects:
- The Carroll Shaw Memorial Centre rehabilitates drug-addicted youths by, in part, engaging them in meaningful activities such as farming, which will equip them with skills. Tipa has been introduced at the Centre's farm in Randfontein;
- The Phelang School takes care of the special educational needs of disadvantaged children, all with some degree of mental handicap. The school feeds these learners each day, and to this end, has planted a small vegetable garden. The Tipa programme will enhance yield efficiency and provide proper training for those who care for the garden;
- A community-based agricultural project in Olifantsfontein should be yielding its first Tipa-assisted crop before the end of 2005; and
- A project in Diepsloot will provide farming plots for 100 farmers from the Diepsloot community.
Variety Club South Africa
Variety Club is an international organisation which raises money to fund the health, educational and physical needs of disadvantaged children worldwide. The South African arm of Variety Club was established by Primedia and Ster-Kinekor in October 1998, in partnership with major South African companies.
Variety Club South Africa hosted a number of events during the previous fiscal, which collected some R5 million, part of which went towards Variety's Child Abuse Rescue Centres.
COMPANY PROJECTS
In addition to the significant activities of the Primedia Foundation, individual companies within Primedia have also embraced individual CSI programmes as a priority.
Each year, Primedia gives recognition to those group companies which have given back to society.
Talk Radio 702, Ster-Kinekor, and Primedia Instore were nominated for the award this year, with Talk Radio 702 walking away with top honours, having made an impression through its contribution to the Aids and housing crises in South Africa.
Cinemark
Cinemark screened a number of free commercials for charities and social responsibility initiatives such as the Nedbank Paralympics, Arrive Alive, POWA, Operation Hunger, the SA National Blood Service, SANCA, Cow Parade, and LoveLife.
As a media partner, Cinemark also helped put in place the first countrywide Cow Parade in aid of CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation, screening awareness advertisements for the initiative.
ComutaNet
ComutaNet continued its direct support of the Putco Foundation, which supports a number of projects, bursaries and charities, channelling 40% of its media revenue generated by buses into this fund.
Other initiatives included selling soup and rolls on "Soup-er Day" to raise money to buy a jungle gym for children in Diepsloot, facilitating the donation of over 500 school bags to the Ikageng Itereleng project which cares for children affected by HIV/Aids, and collecting books, clothes and toys for the Carroll Shaw Memorial Centre. It also donated kit to the U14 Soweto Young Stars soccer team.
iafrica.com
This internet portal hosted, managed and updated websites for the Nkosi Johnson Aids Foundation, the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre, the Carel du Toit Centre for deaf children, Township Patterns, the Advertising Benevolent Fund, and the Sizanani Home. It also ran an advertising campaign on the portal for Johannesburg Child Welfare.
Kaizer Chiefs
With some 14 million supporters, it is little wonder that Premier League football club, Kaizer Chiefs, is so focused on corporate social investment.
Initiatives included pledging 5% of its gate earnings from the Chiefs/Bloemfontein Celtic game to victims of the KwaZulu-Natal floods disaster, and another 5% towards assisting homeless victims of the Tsunami disaster. It also donated R15 000 to the Carroll Shaw Memorial Centre.
Kaizer Chiefs contributes to sport development through its soccer clinics for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and its own Youth Development Programme.
Knowledge Factory
Knowledge Factory offered students from disadvantaged backgrounds internships in the field of Geographic Information Systems ("GIS"), Mathematics and Statistics. It also participates in the workplace experiential learning component of the CIDA/Isett Seta Learnership for IT technicians, mentoring two to six CIDA students at least twice a year and has donated data sets to Stellenbosch University's Sustainability Institute, as well as to the Western Cape Provincial Government to help with development planning in the Garden Route area.
The company runs and raises funds for Play Factory, a golfing programme which makes the game more accessible to intellectually disabled children who participate in the Special Olympics.
Megapro Marketing and Signet Licensing
Megapro Marketing rebuilt two classrooms for the younger learners at Doornbosch Primary School in Magaliesberg. Decorating and furnishing the new rooms is now underway, with subsidiary Signet Licensing providing chairs, tables, and blackboards in the classrooms.
Megapro also runs a project to support the upliftment of school rugby in the Eastern Cape, through which it has provided rugby kit for players of six previously disadvantaged school teams.
Primedia Broadcasting
As part of its commitment to playing a leading role in the communities that it serves, Primedia Broadcasting contributed well over R5 million in cash and R15 million in airtime to various community organisations. The efforts of the underlying radio stations are highlighted below:
Talk Radio 702
Winner of the Primedia CSI Award for 2005, Talk Radio 702 ran a number of events including the 702 Aids Day Radiothon, which raised over R1,53 million for Aids-related causes, and the annual 702 Walk the Talk, in aid of the South African Guide Dogs Association.
Other notable CSI initiatives included the building of three homes in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, planting 702 indigenous trees in Soweto as part of the celebrations around Soweto's 100th anniversary, and presenter Jenny Crwys-Williams' Clothing Drive, which brought in over one ton of goods for distribution to various Johannesburg shelters.
It also assisted the community by creating on-air awareness for various charitable causes, and broadcast interviews where schools and NGOs could highlight their causes and promote their fundraising events.
94.7 Highveld Stereo
94.7 Highveld Stereo's key CSI initiatives included the 94.7 Rude Awakening Christmas Wish List, which saw over 35 wishes being granted, and the Pick 'n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge, which raised money for the Homeless Talk Pre-School/Crèche.
The station's Carols By Candlelight gave Round Table the opportunity to raise funds for the various charities which it supports. Charities Door of Hope, Claw Charity, Queens Haven, Operation Snowball and Ry-ma-in received donations generated by the 94.7 "Stash The Cash" promotion with Emperors Palace Casino.
On top of these and other events, 94.7 Highveld Stereo also aired a number of live reads and promotional spots for charities during the financial year, and flighted public service announcements for numerous charities.
567 CapeTalk
The station's CSI events in the 2005 fiscal included building 10 homes with Habitat for Humanity, and providing relief to fire and flood victims, in partnership with the Western Cape's Disaster Management, by calling for donations of foodstuff, clothing and blankets.
The CapeTalk Goodwill Bus Tour also brought festive cheer and Christmas gifts to children with disabilities at the Woodside Sanctuary and the Lentegeur Mental Hospital. Its Charity Dig saw donations being made to the Open Door Project (a community child protection programme) and the Siphosethu Feeding Programme.
Finally, presenter Lisa Chait spent a week on board the Mercy Ship Anastasis, to publicise the invaluable work done by these floating hospitals.
94.5 Kfm
94.5 Kfm once again held its Red Ribbon Radiothon, raising funds for Jireh House (a home for HIV-infected and abused children), the Fikelela Aids Project in Khayelitsha, the Etafeni Day Care Centre (which provides meals, counselling and therapy for HIV-positive mothers) and the community home-based caregivers project of the Red Cross Society.
Its blanket drive collected blankets for people affected by the Cape's cold nights, and by flooding on the Cape Flats and surrounding informal settlements. The 94.5 Kfm Schools Soccer Challenge promoted soccer development within the primary school system, while its Christmas Wish List saw 20 wishes from needy individuals being granted. Finally, the station's Youth Day experience created an opportunity for Grade 11 and 12 learners to learn more about broadcasting.
Primedia @ Home
The company's MADE initiative ("Making A Difference Everyday") seeks to bridge the educational divide between those at the top and bottom of the economic scale by bringing together schools from different backgrounds.
Primedia @ Home was able to collect stationery and books which were delivered to Madume Primary School, a needy school in Orange Farm. The company plans to continue working with such schools to assist them in creating school libraries which will become part of an improved learning environment.
Primedia Face 2 Face
Primedia Face 2 Face adopted Carryou Ministry, an NGO which cares for the homebound, sick and elderly, as well as people affected by HIV/Aids. The company erected a signage board at the charity's head offices for much-needed exposure, and delivered nutritional cool drinks for the Ministry's Orphan Drop-In Centre.
Its Brand Loyalty Programme is a channel to market for brands, but also has a CSI element, as community or faith-based organisations can collect wrappers or containers of participating clients' brands, which they redeem for cash. Basic needs such as food, school equipment, bibles and hymn books are being addressed by these redemptions.
Primedia Face 2 Face also facilitates the process of getting manufacturers to purchase lapdesks, which are affordable, lightweight plastic desks that rest on children's laps. It then delivers these to needy schools.
Primedia Instore
Primedia Instore's CSI campaign – "Helpless Today, Empowered Tomorrow" – is aimed at driving home the need to take care of those who are unable to fend for themselves, the children of South Africa. The company offered four clients, whose CSI intentions echoed its own CSI mandate, the use of its Shopper Stopper media for these brands' "buy-and-donate" campaigns.
Campaigns were run for:
- Elizabeth Anne's Baby Care Products, in aid of the Avril Elizabeth home;
- Danone Clover, raising funds for CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation;
- The Dettol Trust for Aids; and
- Tastic, in aid of the Unite Against Hunger fund.
Primedia Instore was a nominee in the Primedia CSI Award 2005.
Primedia Outdoor
Primedia Outdoor continues to support the Tswelopele project, which it helped create in 2002. The project initiates job creation and empowerment for previously disadvantaged individuals. Primedia Outdoor supplies billboard PVC flex faces to Tswelopele, to be transformed into products such as garden furniture covers and sports bags.
The company also offered a number of charities the use of its billboard and bus shelter media, to raise awareness and encourage donations and volunteerism. These charities included: Door of Hope, the Germiston Disabled Home, the Cancer Association of SA, the Unite Against Hunger fund, the SPCA, and the SA Guide Dogs Association.
Finally, Primedia Outdoor supported "My Dream Park", where schools designed a dream play park. The winning design was then turned into reality. The company donated trees for the winning park.
Primedia Publishing
Primedia Publishing embarked on a joint educational venture between itself, Tehobo Trust and a church in Kempton Park. The Trust offers educational programmes to orphaned and vulnerable adolescents affected by HIV/Aids. Primedia Publishing's staff members help transport the teenagers to the Trust's Saturday school workshops, and also give classes on a number of subjects and skills.
Primedia Publishing also furthers education by offering the South African Life College office space, as well as IT support.
A number of its magazines donated advertising space to charitable organisations, including Cuppa for CANSA and Open Gardens (Tuin Paleis, SA Gardening), the Advertising Benevolent Fund and AMASA (ADvantage), and DIY Hardware Centre Day in aid of the Highway Hospice Association (DIY Trade News).
Primedia Unlimited
As the newest Primedia company, Primedia Unlimited's CSI initiatives are still getting off the ground, but two of its subsidiaries have already made social upliftment and education the focus of their CSI efforts.
The Real City Project, run by Arms Wide Open, the social development division of subsidiary Wide Open Platform, seeks to uplift decaying urban areas through the combination of art and high impact advertising, simultaneously generating funds for the local authority.
Subsidiary Primestars Marketing, through its communication channel The Third Place, is facilitating skills transfer and encouraging entrepreneurship through monthly events sponsored by FNB. Named BizNetwork, these meetings will see thousands of entrepreneurs gathering at Ster-Kinekor theatres to be educated, informed and entertained.
Ster-Kinekor
Ster-Kinekor's major CSI project, The Ster-Kinekor Eye Care Initiative, looks to improve eyesight in young children. Grade 1, 2 and 3 learners from underprivileged areas are transported to cinemas where they receive eye examinations. If the learners require glasses or further treatment, Ster-Kinekor sponsors glasses, or enlists the support of sponsored/partnered healthcare services.
Free screenings in aid of charitable organisations were also held for, amongst others:
- The SA Guide Dogs Association;
- The Pretoria Cerebral Palsy School for the Physically Disabled;
- Sowetan Seniors;
- CANSA;
- Variety Club;
- LoveLife (Ster-Kinekor also advertises LoveLife initiatives on catering items in cinema);
- Take a Girl Child to Work (Ster-Kinekor Corporate Office hosted 20 girls this year); and
- CIDA City Campus (Ster-Kinekor also recruits students each year as interns).
Ster-Kinekor was a nominee in the Primedia CSI Award 2005.
I Kirsh
Chairman
The Primedia Foundation
21 October 2005