Sappi Southern Africa has been awarded the Trialogue Strategic CSI Award in recognition of its 40-year old flagship Khulisa Enterprise Supplier Development programme. The prestigious accolade is awarded annually to the programme that exemplifies best practice in strategic corporate social investment (CSI) in South Africa.
What makes the award even more significant for Sappi is the fact that it was awarded to the company during the 40th anniversary year of the Khulisa programme, which started out as a small CSI outreach programme and has grown into an integral, thriving division in its supply chain. The Sappi Khulisa programme today assists more than 4,000 forestry growers to establish meaningful livelihoods by gaining access to the important forestry value chain in South Africa.
Strategic CSI is defined as CSI that has positive developmental impact, as well as a significantly positive impact on the business, beyond reputational impact and it is this creation of shared value, the business of ‘doing good while doing business’, that has earned Sappi the award. It is not the first time that the programme has been recognised for its excellence. It won the inaugural Absa Supplier Development Award in 2018 as well as earning a silver Loerie in the Shared Value category in 2021.
“This award acknowledges our belief that businesses and communities can thrive together and is a testament to the power of collaboration, where the interests of both business and society are harmonised for mutual benefit. The Khulisa programme is a jewel in Sappi’s crown. As we celebrate its ruby anniversary this year it makes us appreciate the shared value it has created for us as a company, and for the thousands of Khulisa participants that have been part of this success story over the years. My congratulations go to the Khulisa team who work tirelessly at building these strategic relationships with our suppliers,” commented Alex Thiel, chief executive officer of Sappi Southern Africa.
The award is organised by Trialogue, a corporate responsibility consultancy with more than two decades of industry research and experience, supports better business through its thought leadership, academy, social impact advisory, integrated thinking and ESG advisory, monitoring and evaluation, and corporate reporting services.
