Safaricom Launches Third Sustainability Report

October 23rd, 2014…… Safaricom has announced the release of the 2014 Sustainability Report as it continues to lead transformational change within the organization.

The report, now in its third edition, covers the fiscal period between 1st April 2013 and 31st March 2014. It gives a consolidated view of Safaricom’s strategy and operations in eight key business segments including network quality, energy security, innovation, customer experience, employees, environmental performance, business partners, regulatory issues, and ethics.

Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore noted that the report is influenced by the United Nations Global Compact, the International Financial Reporting Standards and the Capital Markets Authority Corporate Governance Framework.

“This is an expression of our ongoing commitment to sustainability. We have developed a sustainability vision anchored on a Future Generations Charter that will see our vision to transform lives transcend challenges to ensure our business strategies are aligned with global best practices for sustainable corporate growth,” he said.

Notably, 2014 marks the first time that Safaricom will roll out its sustainability strategy to its partners, suppliers and others within its ecosystem, marking an industry first.

A growing number of organizations around the world are developing Sustainability strategies in order to meet the shifting challenges facing their businesses. McKinsey’s Global Survey 2014 has found that the number of companies that have implemented sustainability campaigns has doubled over the last four years, as more firms seek to align sustainability with their overall business goals, mission, or values.

In line with changing business trends, the concept of sustainability is moving beyond its initial scope which initially focused on reducing a company’s energy footprint.

Programs now embrace a broader sustainability agenda that encompasses other segments of the business, ultimately resulting in more efficient organizations.

For Safaricom, this strategy has taken shape in eight key areas. In the area of network quality, Safaricom has revitalizing its systems and optimize service delivery in order to decrease downtime.

Mr. Collymore noted that the company has intensified its focus on initiatives that will bolster its systems and infrastructure as well as improve the quality of interaction with our customers. In line with that objective, Safaricom will soon release a 4G network provision that allows faster internet access and hence give better customer experience.

Safaricom Board Chairman Nicholas Ng’ang’a noted that although sustainability was an area of growing interest, it was yet to be fully understood and appreciated.
“The regulatory environment in which we operate is increasingly complex. Embedding evolving regulatory best practice in our business requires proactive involvement in policy formulation, understanding policy objectives, balancing the interests of different stakeholders and managing the costs of compliance,” Ng’ang’a said.

“We have developed a charter to guide our interactions and ensure that we build constructive, respectful, open and transparent relationships with all regulators while we remain compliant with all regulation and applicable laws,’ he added.

The report was compiled by Safaricom in conjunction with an independent assurance provider who provided oversight on material sustainability indicators, refined the company’s carbon footprint calculations, and who compiled the report in accordance with the new G4 reporting guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative.

October 23rd, 2014…… Safaricom has announced the release of the 2014 Sustainability Report as it continues to lead transformational change within the organization.

The report, now in its third edition, covers the fiscal period between 1st April 2013 and 31st March 2014. It gives a consolidated view of Safaricom’s strategy and operations in eight key business segments including network quality, energy security, innovation, customer experience, employees, environmental performance, business partners, regulatory issues, and ethics.

Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore noted that the report is influenced by the United Nations Global Compact, the International Financial Reporting Standards and the Capital Markets Authority Corporate Governance Framework.

“This is an expression of our ongoing commitment to sustainability. We have developed a sustainability vision anchored on a Future Generations Charter that will see our vision to transform lives transcend challenges to ensure our business strategies are aligned with global best practices for sustainable corporate growth,” he said.

Notably, 2014 marks the first time that Safaricom will roll out its sustainability strategy to its partners, suppliers and others within its ecosystem, marking an industry first.

A growing number of organizations around the world are developing Sustainability strategies in order to meet the shifting challenges facing their businesses. McKinsey’s Global Survey 2014 has found that the number of companies that have implemented sustainability campaigns has doubled over the last four years, as more firms seek to align sustainability with their overall business goals, mission, or values.

In line with changing business trends, the concept of sustainability is moving beyond its initial scope which initially focused on reducing a company’s energy footprint.

Programs now embrace a broader sustainability agenda that encompasses other segments of the business, ultimately resulting in more efficient organizations.

For Safaricom, this strategy has taken shape in eight key areas. In the area of network quality, Safaricom has revitalizing its systems and optimize service delivery in order to decrease downtime.

Mr. Collymore noted that the company has intensified its focus on initiatives that will bolster its systems and infrastructure as well as improve the quality of interaction with our customers. In line with that objective, Safaricom will soon release a 4G network provision that allows faster internet access and hence give better customer experience.

Safaricom Board Chairman Nicholas Ng’ang’a noted that although sustainability was an area of growing interest, it was yet to be fully understood and appreciated.
“The regulatory environment in which we operate is increasingly complex. Embedding evolving regulatory best practice in our business requires proactive involvement in policy formulation, understanding policy objectives, balancing the interests of different stakeholders and managing the costs of compliance,” Ng’ang’a said.

“We have developed a charter to guide our interactions and ensure that we build constructive, respectful, open and transparent relationships with all regulators while we remain compliant with all regulation and applicable laws,’ he added.

The report was compiled by Safaricom in conjunction with an independent assurance provider who provided oversight on material sustainability indicators, refined the company’s carbon footprint calculations, and who compiled the report in accordance with the new G4 reporting guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative.