About US

As a company the size and stature of the Edcon Group we realise that we need to play a more strategic and meaningful role in influencing and shaping Governments National Policy on Transformation. The challenge is to accelerate the integration of BBBEE with business priorities. Our Transformation vision is to be a level 3 BBBEE contributor by 2014. Already, the company has accomplished close to 50% of this target by becoming a level 5 BBBEE contributor in the financial year ending 31 March 2009. Skills Development and Employment Equity remain key priorities areas and moving forward Edcon will be striving to improve its Preferential Procurement and Enterprise Development component. Edcon conducts, on annual basis, a Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment audit and for the past three years the audit was conducted by independent auditors, Ernst & Young Incorporated.

 

Transformation is an important business imperative for Edcon and integral to our objective to be a Good Corporate Citizen to all our stakeholders and be the employer and shopping destination of choice. Our challenge is to accelerate the integration of BBBEE with day to day business priorities as a way of life in the business through:

-Visible Change – Employment Equity; a critical mass of diversity

-Visible Difference- Improved BBBEE scorecard

-Integration with customer service- A compelling place to shop for customers

-Visible Synergy- Partner of choice to all stakeholders

-Visible Relevance –Distinctly South African yet global

 

Governance 
 
Transformation Board Committee

The Committee is constituted as a committee of the board of directors of Edcon Holdings. The purpose of the Committee is to guide, monitor, review and evaluate the Group's progress on transformation, with specific reference to the seven major elements of transformation, being ownership, management control, employment equity, skills development, preferential procurement, enterprise development and socio-economic development initiatives. The Committee shall meet formally at least twice a year and at such other times as the Committee Chairman shall require. The Committee chair is appointed by the Board.

 

Employment Equity Committee

Edcon is a company that serves many diverse markets and the workforce represents the demographics of all these communities it serves. Edcon employees nominate diverse candidates of staff at all levels for the committee, who then meet twice a year and encourages open debates. Committee members see their responsibility as to ratify targets set so as to ensure adequate representation of previously marginalised groups at management level as well as positively affecting the lives of Edcon employees.

 

The committee is responsible for:

1. Responding to employee needs more effectively

2. Establish better relationships with suppliers, employees and customers

3. Solve problems in innovative and creative ways

4. Promote the principals of the Employment Equity Act

Empower employees in the workplace by bridging gaps and maximising potential.

 

Achievements

Some of the achievements of the Employment Equity Committee to date include:

-The Edcon Mobile Clinic for staff

-An increase in the employment of disabled staff

-Study Bursaries for employees and their children

-A gym and Montessori crèche for employees and their children

-The introduction of the staff empowerment trust

 

Gender Equity Sub Committee

Edcon is committed to making an important contribution towards the achievement of gender equity in South Africa and within the broader corporate context. The introduction and formulation of a gender equity policy is an indication of Edcon's commitment to this process. The objective of the Edcon Gender Equity Policy is to promote a general understanding of the principles around gender equality within Edcon and provide guidelines for the implementation of programmes that will enhance gender equality and equity at Edcon. The increased participation of women in the labour market and the economy is widely supported. The challenge is to ensure that this leads to women's economic empowerment whilst not further increasing inequities between women and men in the workplace.

 

Disability Sub Committee

The sub committee looks at the needs of employees with disabilities in respect to reasonable accommodation, employment opportunities, sensitisation, and advocacy and ensures that measures are implemented to make all facilities disabled-person friendly.
 

News
Edcon supports celebratory event : International Day for Persons with Disabability

On 3 December, Edcon hosted this event at the Mall of Africa for raising R3,09million for Casual Day In commemoration of International Day for Persons with Disabilities,

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news event
Edcon supports celebratory event : International Day for Persons with Disabability

On 3 December, Edcon hosted this event at the Mall of Africa for raising R3,09million for Casual Day In commemoration of International Day for Persons with Disabilities,

read more
Projects

IShareyethu

The 2005 financial year saw the creation of a staff empowerment Trust. In line with the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Codes of Good Practice, it is an initiative that emphasises Edcon’s ongoing commitment to contributing to the transfer of wealth to our employees, while creating an opportunity for the interests of staff to remain aligned to the economic interests of the Company. The Trust shareholding represents an effective 9.7 of Edcon’s shareholding.

 

Beneficiaries of the staff empowerment scheme are all permanent part-timers, grade A and grade B employees (being the three lowest levels on Edcon’s grading system) as well as all black staff above these levels. Employees receive empowerment payments linked to the dividend every six months for six years.

 

Corporate Social Investment

Edcon’s CSI programme has generated goodwill over the years with Edcon receiving numerous awards for the Top CSI Company. We have also accumulated full BBBEE points on the CSI pillar over the last three years. A challenging trading environment requires that expenses be reviewed regularly in line with the Group’s efforts to contain costs.

 

Programmes are reviewed annually both in this context of cost containment assessing those CSI programmes with the best strategic business alignment and impact.

 

Edcon’s CSI Focus Areas over the years have been in the areas of Education, Social development (including health) and programmes that contribute to small-scale job creation. Included in this section is a brief narrative on some of these programmes for the committee’s information.

 

Focus areas include

 

Employee Volunteer Programme:

 

  • Charity Drives
  • Skills support
  • Casual Day
  • Give as you Earn
  • Dreamfields Project
  • Edcon Youth Pathfinder Programme
  • Maths, English and Accounting Development and Enhancement Programme
  • Thuthuka Accounting Programme
  • City Year SA 
  •  

Community upliftment:

 

  • Jet Community Awards
  • SOS Children’s Villages SA
  • Clothing Donations
  • HIV Awareness Programme
  • Breast Cancer Programme
  •  

Reading and Literacy:

 

  • CNA stories competition
  • Financial Literacy 
     

The Edcon Community Mission is to:

Share wealth for positive change in the quality of life of people in the areas in which we trade, primarily through support for education, and be perceived both internally and externally as a caring organisation

 

Edcon believes it has a responsibility towards the development and upliftment of its communities, while pursuing its business objectives. CSI is an integral part of Edcon's transformation strategy and is committed to making a difference to the lives of individuals, families and society at large.

 

Strategic Focus Areas:

  • Employee Volunteer Programme
  • Edcon Youth Pathfinder Programme
  • Community Upliftment
  • Reading and Literacy
  •  

Employee Volunteer Programme

Targeting Edcon Employees and suppliers to participate and support the Programme
Interventions will be in line with CSI focus areas driven by CSI Champions and supported by the CSI Department

 

Edcon Pathfinder Programme

Closing the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged schools
Providing support in maths, accounting and language and thus creating an increase in graduate output in areas where there is a shortage of skills.

 

Community Upliftment

Addressing problems around dysfunctional communities that could pose a threat to stability
Providing support in the area of HIV/AIDS with focus on orphans and vulnerable children.

 

Reading and literacy

Encouraging learners to read by introducing an annual reading competition at school level.
Educating customers and public on financial literacy