ESG AND SUSTAINABILITY
Remgro is committed to developing an environmental,
social and governance (ESG) strategy that reflects South
Africa's unique sustainability challenges and to
address the opportunities and risks they present.
ESG AND SUSTAINABILITY
Remgro is committed to developing an environmental,
social and governance (ESG) strategy that reflects South
Africa's unique sustainability challenges and to
address the opportunities and risks they present.
The Social and Ethics Committee (the committee) assists the Board in overseeing and reporting on Remgro’s ethics, responsible corporate citizenship, sustainable development, legal compliance and stakeholder relationships. In doing so, the committee works closely with the Strategic ESG Committee which oversees linkages between its own remit and those of other Board Committees, including this committee and which reports separately (see below). This report by the committee is prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act (No. 71 of 2008), as amended (Companies Act), and the King IV Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa (2016) (King IV), and describes, inter alia, how the committee has discharged its statutory duties in terms of the Companies Act and its additional duties assigned to it by the Board in respect of the financial year ended 30 June 2022.
The committee comprises five suitably skilled and experienced members appointed by the Board, the majority of whom are, as recommended in King IV, neither involved in the day-to-day management of Remgro’s business or been involved at any time during the previous three financial years. The members of the committee for the year under review are set out in the table below. The chairman of the committee is Mr Murphy Morobe, an independent non-executive director. In terms of the committee’s charter, at least two meetings should be held during each financial year.
| Committee member* | Number of meetings held |
Number of meetings attended |
| M Morobe (Chairman) | 3 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
| S E N De Bruyn | 3 | 3 |
| N P Mageza | 3 | 3 |
| P R Louw | 3 | 3 |
| P J Uys | 3 | 3 |
| (1) | Abridged curriculum vitae of all the directors of the Company are set out here, while the qualifications of Messrs P R Louw and P J Uys (who are members of the Management Board and also prescribed officers in terms of the Companies Act) are presented here. |
The committee’s role and responsibilities are governed by a formal charter as approved by the Board. The charter is subject to an annual review by the Board.
The main objectives of the committee are to assist the Board in monitoring the Group’s performance in respect of ethics, responsible corporate citizenship, sustainable development, compliance and stakeholder relationships. This is done by, inter alia, monitoring many of the key sustainable development practices of the Group as set out below, thereby assisting the Board in achieving its objectives of doing business ethically and sustainably.
Remgro’s main wholly owned operating subsidiaries are Wispeco Holdings Proprietary Limited (Wispeco) and Siqalo Foods Proprietary Limited (Siqalo Foods). Both Wispeco and Siqalo Foods have established its own social and ethics committees which operate independently from this committee. Remgro’s representatives on the boards of Wispeco and Siqalo Foods also have standing invitations to attend the meetings of those committees, ex officio. The minutes of these companies’ meetings, as well as those of the social and ethics committees of Distell Group Holdings Limited (Distell) and RCL Foods Limited (RCL Foods) are included in the agenda of the committee as a standing item. During the year under review, the aforementioned companies submitted reports (where applicable) of their respective social and ethics committees’ activities to this committee.
Furthermore, during the year under review, Distell, RCL Foods and Wispeco gave presentations to the committee and reported specifically on the social and ethics governance activities of their respective businesses.
The committee is satisfied that it has fulfilled all its duties in accordance with its annual programme, as further detailed below.
The committee is responsible for developing and reviewing the Group’s policies with regard to the commitment, governance and reporting of the Group’s key social and ethical performance and for making recommendations to management and/or the Board in this regard. During the year under review, the committee reviewed its charter, as well as the Company’s Code of Ethics, Gifts Policy, Social Media Policy, HIV/Aids Policy and Safety, Health and Environmental Management Policy.
Remgro’s overall Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance is now overseen and monitored at Board level and by the Strategic ESG Committee. The implementation of an ESG Charter and governance structures provide strategic direction and oversight in support of Remgro’s commitment and that of its investee companies in relation to ESG. The Board and Strategic ESG Committee monitor Remgro’s ESG performance and stewardship through policies, frameworks, standards and guidelines. These include those of the Social and Ethics Committee.
The Strategic ESG Committee is also responsible for the integration of ESG policies into the business operations, the Charters of other Board Committees, as well as Remgro’s future development and strategy.
In the execution of its duties, the committee has reviewed many of the key sustainable development practices of the Group, specifically relating to:
The committee’s oversight role also includes the monitoring of any relevant legislation, other legal requirements or prevailing codes of best practice, specifically with regard to matters relating to social and economic development, good corporate citizenship, employment equity, the environment, health and public safety, consumer relationships, as well as labour and employment and overall ESG matters.
The Sustainability Report provides a full understanding of Remgro’s efforts to contribute to measurable and positive social and environmental impact, alongside financial returns to achieve its ambitions to maximise value creation for all its stakeholders, while doing business sustainably.
The committee further monitors Remgro’s participation and results achieved in external surveys in respect of any sustainability aspect pertaining to the Group. In this regard the committee noted the external recognition and achievements by the Group, as reported here.
The committee, together with the Audit and Risk Committee, is responsible for reviewing and recommending for approval the annual sustainability content included in the Integrated Annual Report. The committee is also involved in determining and making recommendations on the need for external assurance of the Group’s public reporting on key elements of its sustainable development performance. To this extent, the committee has reviewed the content of the Abridged Sustainability Report included in the Integrated Annual Report and the detailed Sustainability Report, and recommended it for approval by the Board.
The committee is also required to report through one of its members to the Company’s shareholders on the matters within its mandate at the Company’s Annual General Meeting to be held on 30 November 2022. In the notice of the Annual General Meeting included in the Integrated Annual Report here, shareholders are referred to this report by the committee, read with the detailed Sustainability Report. Any specific questions to the committee may be sent to the Company Secretary prior to the meeting. Committee members will be attending the Annual General Meeting to deal with any questions.
Murphy Morobe
Chairman of the Social and Ethics Committee
Stellenbosch
26 September 2022
The 2022 Annual General Meeting of Remgro will be held by way of electronic participation only (refer to the Notice of Shareholders regarding the electronic participation process).