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Viewing: Responsible Business overview / Next: Notice of Annual General Meeting

Responsible business overview

Datatec is committed to doing business responsibly and sustainably. We believe that cultivating long-term value for shared prosperity is critical to our business. Our responsible business practices reflect a holistic view which encompasses four main pillars namely, our communities, our planet, our people and governance and communication.

We set out here our overarching principles for our undertakings in each of these areas. Details on our strategy, initiatives, goals and performance for each pillar (and for our subsidiaries) can be found in the Datatec integrated report and our new standalone Datatec responsible business report.

Our communities

Ensuring positive socio-economic impact by unlocking shared prosperity through supporting inclusive education is core to Datatec’s purpose.

We are advocates for education and lifelong learning. Over our 38-year history, we have maintained the belief that education is the most transformative force in building a competitive economy and resilient societies. Primarily through the work of our subsidiaries and through the Datatec Educational and Technology Foundation, we actively work toward ensuring that education is more inclusive and socially relevant by investing in eliminating barriers to education and actively driving access to quality learning opportunities.

Datatec has committed to work and partner with organisations that align with its responsible business philosophy and that offer programmes which support education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (“STEM”) to empower disadvantaged communities, and which facilitate interventions to increase the number of women and minority groups in the technology industry.

Our planet

Datatec is deepening its investment into minimising its environmental impact across its business value chain.

Datatec’s ‘our planet’ pillar prioritises environmental responsibility through three key focus areas: reducing carbon emissions, energy use and waste management.
Our collective efforts across the Group are directed toward combating climate change by actively reducing greenhouse gas emissions (including our supplier engagement programmes), improving energy efficiency, exploring renewable energy sources and adopting effective waste management strategies.

Note

For all updates on responsible business and Datatec Foundation plans as set out in the FY24 annual report, please see the forthcoming Datatec integrated report and standalone responsible business report. We have moved this content, in addition to details on responsible business strategy, initiatives and performance by pillar, from the annual report to align with corporate governance and reporting best practice.

Our people

Datatec employs over 11 000 people in more than 50 countries across the world. The Group strives to attract and retain the best talent, and recognises that it is imperative to ensure that its people are prioritised.

We believe in maintaining a fair, inclusive culture; and in ensuring that our employees have optimal working conditions and opportunities for growth and development. Through Responsible Business, we create opportunities for our employees through our inclusion and belonging programmes; ensuring employee wellbeing, health and safety; and striving to be a great place to work.

Datatec is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to a working environment that is free from discrimination. We recognise the importance of purposefully embedding equity and inclusion into our ways of working across our Group, as well as seeking to create a workforce which is balanced in terms of representation in our subsidiaries. This remains a consistent, growing focus and is shaping the values that have come to define the culture of Datatec.

Health and wellness

Employee wellbeing is a priority across Datatec, including both physical and mental health. This is promoted and supported through a combination of activities and initiatives, including regional employee assistance programmes, health insurance options, wellbeing webinars, employee resource groups or health committees, targeted policies, local fitness activities and mental health awareness events.

The approach to health and wellness is on a per region/ operation basis, in keeping with the decentralised management model of the Group. At most operations, employees are afforded health schemes with the operations contributing the entire or part of the employee membership fee.

In addition, health and safety (“H&S”) training and communication to employees is done at a regional/country level to ensure compliance with local H&S regulations.

Health and safety policy and procedures

Datatec requires that all subsidiaries, at a minimum, comply with local health and safety regulations. Management at each subsidiary is responsible for ensuring compliance with local laws and reporting major work-related injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences. The subsidiaries confirm compliance with these requirements by issuing bi-annual management assurance letters to Datatec. In addition, at each subsidiary ARCC, H&S matters are reported by exception.

The Board delegates the responsibility for monitoring workplace H&S to the Social & Ethics Committee, which in turn receives reports from the subsidiary ARCCs and/or H&S representatives.

There were no major H&S incidents or injuries to report during FY25 and to the date of this report.

Governance and communication

Datatec’s business model is underpinned by its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of governance, ethics and business conduct, and to being honest, transparent, socially responsible corporate citizens across all operations and communications.

Corporate governance is viewed as a tool that contributes to improved operational decision-making and business performance.

BBBEE and transformation

As a South African company, Datatec is required to comply with the Codes of Good Practice on BEE issued by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition ("the Codes"), as well as the BBBEE Act 53 of 2003 ("BBBEE Act"), amended by the BBBEE Act 46 of 2013, specifically the ICT sector codes. In this regard, the South African-based operations are required to comply with the Codes. In terms of section 13G(2) of the BBBEE Act, read with regulation 12(3) of the BBBEE Regulations, all public companies listed on the JSE are required to provide the BBBEE commission, on an annual basis, with a report on their compliance with BBBEE.

Datatec has two South African operating subsidiaries:

  • WestconGroup SA (Pty) Ltd has achieved a Level 1 BBBEE status under the ICT charter codes, giving its customers 135% procurement spend recognition.
  • Logicalis SA (Pty) Ltd also has a Level 1 BBBEE status under the ICT charter codes, giving its customers 135% procurement spend recognition.

Datatec’s consolidated BBBEE status, which includes the non-operating Datatec Limited head office, WestconGroup SA (Pty) Ltd and Logicalis SA (Pty) Ltd, is Level 3, giving its customers 110% procurement spend recognition.

Transformation is a fundamental pillar of our business, and Datatec is fully committed to driving meaningful and sustainable change. Datatec recognises the importance of fostering a diverse, inclusive and equitable environment, and views transformation not merely as a regulatory requirement, but as a strategic imperative that strengthens the organisation and the communities we operate in.

Annual BBBEE audits are performed by an accredited independent BBBEE verification agent.

In its broadest sense, transformation is a strategic priority for the Company. Datatec is committed to BBBEE in its South African operations and transformation across all business practices and levels.

To view the WestconGroup SA (Pty) Ltd, Logicalis SA (Pty) Ltd and the consolidated Datatec scorecards, please visit Datatec's website at www.datatec.com.