Recognising the need for a constant supply of well-qualified, locally educated graduate engineers and scientists to recruit from, DRA has placed education at the heart of its corporate social investment (CSI) programme, with 26 local nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) benefiting from its sponsorship.
Between 2009 and 2014, the Johannesburg-headquartered project engineering company has invested R13.1-million to support education programmes, with a particular emphasis on mathematics, science and English.
DRA process consultant Mark Cresswell, who serves on the committee overseeing CSI donations, explains that the company is viewing education in the broadest sense, supporting pre-school education, continuing through primary, high school and tertiary education, and ultimately the training of teachers.
The NGOs which DRA supports have beneficiaries in the areas where the group has offices, projects or operations, including in the Northern Cape, Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga. Many of these organisations have direct links with DRA staff or family members.
DRA’s assistance is not only in hard cash, but also in the form of free engineering work hours. For instance, it provides engineering and drawing office support for Shanduka’s Adopt-a-School Foundation, which fixes crumbling infrastructure and adds classrooms cost effectively at primary and high schools throughout South Africa.
To achieve the maximum rating in terms of the government’s broad-based black eco- nomic-empowerment Codes of Good Practice, over 75% of the beneficiaries of these NGOs are black South African citizens.
Director Rodney Drew, who chairs the DRA donations committee, explains that the group spends about 1% of its net profit a year on CSI donations, which gives it the maximum rating in terms of the codes.
Between 2012 and 2104, DRA sister company Minopex spent R1.16-million on CSI donations to various organisations focusing on the development and training of upcoming farmers and welfare services.
DRA also invests a further 2% to 3% of its net profit on enterprise development, having donated R25.3-million from 2009 to 2013 to various organisations, most of which are involved in training entrepreneurs who are building up their businesses.
The Shanduka Black Umbrellas, which helps to train entrepreneurs, has been a major recipient and so has The Hope Factory in Port Elizabeth, which trains people without any prior skill to start up and run their own businesses. Cresswell explains that DRA’s donations have also helped Raizcorp, which invests in established businesses and trains the owners to improve their managerial skills.