INTRODUCTION

The Naspers group plays a role in sustainable development of South Africa. We pay taxes to government and remuneration to employees. Socially, Naspers contributes via community involvement, and also environmentally through its efforts to reduce the broader group impact by using sophisticated printing technologies, recycling and focusing on energy effciency. Several broad-based black economic empowerment schemes have been introduced over the years.

Naspers is one of the most empowered media companies in South Africa for the third year running, according to the annual Financial Mail empowerment survey that reviews the top 100 listed companies on the JSE for black economic empowerment.

One of the group’s most important contributions in its home country has been education. We play a part in improving literacy levels. Television opens up the world to many people.

SuperSport has become the prime funder of sports leagues across the continent. Without SuperSport, sport across sub-Saharan Africa will be a lot poorer. It also promotes the social and economic goals regarding sport across the African continent.

Naspers’s international businesses are mostly internet platforms (focusing on commerce, communities, content, communication and games). Each has programmes in place to address training and staffwellness needs. Generally, internet businesses are considered to have a lower impact on the environment than print media – primarily due to the use of electricity.

As we expand the group’s international presence in emerging markets, the focus will remain on sustainable development. We want to contribute to the communities in which we operate; develop our own people; contribute to economic prosperity at national and individual level; and minimise our impact on the environment.

SCOPE OF THE REPORT

This report to stakeholders concentrates mainly on our South African operations, which are largely mature businesses in well-regulated sectors. South Africa is a nation in transition, focused on maximising the benefits of a still-young democracy for all. Clear targets have been set for a number of key indicators. This report will focus mainly on the progress made by our managed businesses in South Africa: MultiChoice (pay television) and Media24 (publishing, distributing and printing).

We acknowledge the complexities of compiling a meaningful report for the group outside South Africa given the people differences between the jurisdictions in which we operate in 129 countries across the globe. In each of these areas, we will as a minimum comply with local standards and legislation and eventually try to surpass them.

OUR PEOPLE

The group complies with labour legislation in its areas of operation. In South Africa, MultiChoice and Media24 statutory reports are submitted. During the past year, Media24 restructured its operations in line with its revised strategy to ensure a cost-effective operation. While this reduced the workforce to rightsize costs in a severe recession, forced retrenchments were kept to a minimum. In all retrenchment cases, severance benefits were significantly better than those prescribed by the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and so far no retrenchments have been successfully challenged at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).

DIVERSITY AND EMPLOYMENT EQUITY

Appropriate consultative forums protect the interests of employees, provide representation and have become a valuable platform for joint decision-making.

The group values diversity in its workforce, with the current demographic profi le tabulated below.