Safaricom 2018 Sustainable Business Report

13 INTRODUCTION OUR BUSINESS OUR MATERIAL TOPICS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT 2018 SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS REPORT GENDER, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION In the past year, we have reflected deeply on what true diversity and inclusion mean to out business. While we are proud of our overall gender equality as a company, we cannot be content with the lack of equal gender representation in senior management and the executive leadership, which remain 68 and 75 per cent male, respectively. So we have committed to matching the number of women to men in senior management by 2020. To do so, we have put in place a number of initiatives aimed at creating more growth opportunities for women at Safaricom, including our Women in Leadership and Women in Technology programmes. We are also making headway in relation to achieving SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), through our pledge to increase the number of staff with disabilities from the current 1.7 per cent to 5 per cent by 2020. To achieve this goal, we have provided various business units with specific hiring targets to open up more opportunities for qualified Kenyans with disabilities over the next three years. We are also working with organisations such as the Kenya Union for the Blind and the Kenyan Paraplegic Organisation to form a network through which we can identify suitable candidates. By doing this, we hope that we can influence others in the public and private sectors to work towards the full inclusion of people with disabilities. THE B TEAM – AFRICA The private sector has a responsibility to drive conversations around sustainability, not only because we have a lot to gain from running sustainable businesses, but also because by doing so we can empower and uplift communities. To achieve this, we need a ‘coalition of the willing’, and B Team – Africa is that very coalition. The B Team – Africa is an alliance of progressive business leaders who are dedicate to empowering Africans by creating more sustainable and just economies across the continent. The alliance was formally launched in March 2018, with the purpose of creating a network of people and resources who can catalyse the adoption of the SDGs, and create shared value. CREATING SHARED VALUE At Safaricom, we like to say that business of business is not just business any more. Over and above innovating and selling relevant products and services, our business exists to transform lives. That is our purpose, and that is what we believe will guide us as we seek to create shared value not just for our shareholders, but for stakeholders including the communities we operate in. This year’s theme, Shared Value, is therefore very fitting. Not only does it speak to our purpose, it brings to life our brand promise of Twaweza, which is that when we come together, great things happen. What we have been able to achieve since our inception in the year 2000 is testament to the power of coming together. It is that same spirit that informs our positive outlook for the coming years as we work towards creating shared value, in line with our believe that when we put purpose and people before profits, then the profits will naturally follow. Bob Collymore Chief Executive Officer Safaricom PLC “We cannot succeed in isolation. We need a ‘coalition of the willing’ to address these challenges.”