Why Perceptions of CSR in Africa Need to Change
Author: Ali Merifield
Date: 24/05/2009
The recent African Green Business Summit in Nairobi brought together a range of players to discuss how companies in Kenya could be encouraged to help improve the country‚s environment and help pull people out of poverty.
Following the event, Camilla Flatt has been writing for Green Business Africa on the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in community development in Africa. In her article she argues that the perception of why businesses invest in community development projects needs to change, in order for the company and the community to benefit from these activities.
CSR in Kenya and Africa generally, usually refer to community investment activities rather than corporate governance or environmental initiatives. This is mainly because the factors which have driven CSR activities in countries like the UK and USA are not so strong in Kenya.
There are only two golden rules that companies can follow to achieve this – invest strategically and communicate responsibly.
Invest Strategically – find out which community development projects will support your business by reducing any environmental or social risks your company may faces and therefore making your business more sustainable.
Communicate Responsibly – discover different communication techniques to reduce scepticism, get better productivity from your employees and increased confidence from your investors.
Read more on ‘Why Perceptions of CSR in Africa Need to Change’.