Sustainability

AARD is fully committed to addressing the inequalities of the past and we annually fund community social investment and enterprise development initiatives.

We also recognise that we have a responsibility to raising the standard of living of HDSAs. We focus on education initiatives because it is by empowering people with knowledge that they will have the opportunity to improve their quality of life in the long term.

We also believe that supporting entrepreneurs and small business development is integral to the long-term upliftment of communities and individuals. This type of support in turn provides opportunities for individuals to make a living and to become job creators in their own right.

Enterprise development

AARD has partnered with the Shanduka Black Umbrellas Foundation and the TsiBA Education Trust to participate in Enterprise development initiatives. The Shanduka Black Umbrella Foundation focuses on mentoring emerging black entrepreneurs, while the Tsiba Trust focuses on the smallest category of SMME development – micro businesses.

More information on these organisations can be found at:

Community Social Investment

AARD has worked with the Adopt-a-School Foundation, an NGO focused on delivering infrastructure to schools in historically disadvantaged communities. We recently financed a building project at the Tsakane Primary School in Kagiso, an area adjacent to our factory and head office.

Local procurement

AARD is fully committed to local procurement. Currently 80% of all the components used for the manufacturing of our equipment are procured locally. In line with our vision to advance BBBEE, we give preference to BBBEE suppliers and to SMMEs wherever possible. In FY2015 we sourced some 35% of our procurement from SMMEs, and our target for SMME procurement in FY2016 has been increased to 40%.

We have calculated that our local procurement and sub-contracting policies have resulted in the creation of over 400 direct jobs and a similar number of indirect jobs in our local supply chain. Direct jobs are those within the businesses that form part of our supply chain and which are sustainable almost exclusively due to the products manufactured and supplied to AARD.

Transformation

As part of its BBBEE vision, AARD has in place a formal Transformation Committee. Headed by a board member, this committee is exclusively tasked with the implementation, monitoring and reporting on BBBEE objectives and targets. The Transformation Committee reports monthly to the AARD Executive Committee and to the Joint Workers and Organised Labour Committee, the Work Place Forum Committee. The Transformation Committee reports quarterly to the board.

Apprenticeships

AARD has a well-established apprenticeship programme in which 16 (including four women) apprentices are continuously being trained. The majority of these are HDSAs and a good representative sample of the country’s demographics. Once qualified, these apprentices are employed by AARD.

Safety, Health, Risk, Environment and Quality (SHREQ)