About IDCOur approach to Corporate Social Investment (CSI) has been guided by the Urban Renewal Programme (URP) and the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) announced by President Mbeki (State of the Nation Address 2001).
The IDC’s CSI strategic framework targets underdeveloped rural areas, particularly in rural communities where access to CSI funding is minimal. These programmes aim to address poverty in parts of the country where the largest concentration of underdevelopment is found, particularly in areas identified under the Integrated and Sustainable Rural Development Programme (ISRDP).
The programmes were established to alleviate poverty in acutely underdeveloped regions.
Our CSI programme focuses on assisting special need areas within these regions. It is also involved with projects that support women and people with disabilities.
When we become involved in a project, we adopt a holistic view, taking a 360-degree approach by offering additional help in the form of on-the job-training, advice concerning business organisation and marketing as well as follow-on support.
CSI Investments focus on:
- Making a fundamental contribution to rural development
- Helping individual projects develop into business cooperatives.
- Using our internal resources to supervise projects that we fund.
- Assisting projects that have the potential to develop and qualify for IDC business funding
Preferred investment choices include
- Income generating projects
- Cooperatives
- Local community tourism projects
- Agricultural projects
- Arts and crafts projects
CSI Investment Initiatives focus on:
Community development programmes organised by local organisations, NGOs and non-profit groups.
We have implemented a plan to liaise with the targeted district municipalities in terms of ISRDP and established a database of non-governmental and community economic development projects in dire need of financial support in the poorest municipal areas. The IDC is working with the Kgalagadi municipality in the Northern Cape, Maluti, a Phofung municipality in the Free State and Ugu district municipality in KwaZulu-Natal.
Update
We are currently supporting 25 poverty alleviation projects. We have established strategic partnerships with all these projects in order to heighten their impact and leverage the necessary funding. One such project is the Nguni Cattle Project.
Nguni Cattle Project
This involves the introduction of Nguni cattle to economically depressed areas. Initiated in the Eastern Cape with the University of Fort Hare, the programme has now expanded to Limpopo and North West Provinces under the custodianship of the provincial government and in collaboration with local universities. To date, 30 communities have received cattle for breeding and eventual commercialisation. Click here for more information.
