AdvanceNet Corporate Social Responsibility

This initiative was started in 2006 and is designed to assist all employees earning less than a specified amount. They have the opportunity for their children to receive education at a better level and with better facilities where their remuneration is insufficient to provide this elevated level.

The initiative is currently paying all the costs for 18 children from the ages of 1 year to 17 years to attend pre nursery, nursery, junior and senior schools in areas that they live, as in the case of outside of Gauteng, or in the Rivonia, Sunninghill area if they live with their parents in the surrounding area.

The company pays all the education costs directly to the education institution, including extra mural activities and meals and is negotiated directly between the company and the education provider

A limited amount of clothing is provided and all children are supplied with a new satchel at the beginning of each year.

Most of the children come to our offices every day with their parents and are then bussed to the respective schools either by AdvanceNet transport or by the service provided by the school.

Substantial acceleration of the learning process is being reported in every single case and many children who would otherwise be limited to the facilities available in the poorer townships are given the opportunity to progress far beyond what could otherwise be made available to them by their parents.

Children who would otherwise be left with a day care facility are able to get into the education stream from as early as 1 year of age.

The scheme has put the company at the forefront of social responsibility initiatives in South Africa.

AdvanceKids extends to:

Isibindi Africa

AdvanceNet have been involved in an initiative which supports students from the Rorke’sDrift area in various formats. This is one of the poorest areas in South Africa and these children struggle between cultural and household duties in order to be educated. These children attend the Shiyane high School which is subsidised by the Government, but these subsidies are not enough to provide schooling for free without the school having to omit important amenities such as electricity and running water.

Our initial involvement was to supply clothing to the children during the winter months. We managed to purchase over 90 pairs of school shoes  and socks for the children who did not have.One pupil’s basic school year costs R65, most of the people in this area are unemployed and simply don’t have the money. The sponsorship is a voluntary contribution from AdvanceNet and staff to sponsor children for their academic year. Our sponsorship covers 200 children at R165 per child per year and this provides for the academic year, new text books, school uniforms and stationery.

There is always something that the children need and we communicate regularly with the organisers and principal to see what the priority needs are.

AdvanceKhaya is a social upliftment programme designed to improve the quality of life of all unskilled and semi-skilled staff employed by the Company. While our minimum wage employees are remunerated at over twice that of the minimum determined by the Department of Labour, it is our experience that very little disposable income typically remains for individuals employed in entry level positions after the costs of transportation have been provided for.

It is for this reason that we have introduced a housing allowance for all employees who earn less than a certain amount each month, a benefit intended to ensure that we are doing our utmost to provide our staff with a reasonable quality of life. While delighted by the fact that this initiative provides our employees with the means to better house, feed, educate and clothe themselves and their families, we are also proud of our contribution to the alleviation of poverty in South Africa by means of this initiative.

advancenet year end charity initiative:

In 1999 the Company embarked on its first annual year-end charity initiative, a programme which incorporates a marketing drive with a charity fundraiser.

All customers, suppliers and other stakeholders are sent an electronic greetings card, in lieu of a traditional card, thanking them for their support during the year and wishing them a happy festive season. By sending out an electronic card instead of the traditional paper-based alternative, the Company saves approximately R10 per card which is then donated to a charity selected by the recipient from a list predefined by the Company.

Over R 440 000 has been donated to various worthy causes since this initiative was started, including:

Furthermore, in an interesting recent development, a number of South African and international companies have requested our assistance with the implementation of their own, similar programmes – an exciting extension of a successful home-grown idea.

Drivers Licenses:

Every employee, irrespective of their position within the Company, is given the opportunity to obtain their driver’s license though the Company. The costs of any driving lessons required and the test itself are covered by the Company and over 20 employees have completed, or are in the process of completing, their licenses to date.

AdvanceServices:

AdvanceServices is a group company started in 2007 to provide historically disadvantaged individuals with an opportunity for employment. The company was started as an extension of our mission “…to strive for complete customer delight in all aspects of our business…” and provides a complimentary car washing service to customers and other stakeholders whenever they visit our offices.

The AdvanceServices team currently consists of 7 members but is expected to grow substantially over the next year as various ideas designed to contribute to the customer delight experience are implemented and included in their service offering.