Stakeholder Engagement

The directors appreciate that stakeholder relationship management is an essential element of strategy implementation supporting long-term sustainability objectives. The board has set up processes to regularly consider and address legitimate interests of stakeholders with the conviction that stakeholder perceptions affect the group’s reputation and stakeholder support influences group performance.

Stakeholder management poses significant challenges due to the large number of diverse stakeholders, arising from the variety of crops produced in diverse geographic locations. The board considers stakeholder management particularly important because of the impact of agriculture on the daily lives of communities in terms of job opportunities, water quality and availability, food security and land occupation. Because of this, government and quasi-government institutions tend to take a keen interest in the agricultural sector. In South Africa alone, the group deals on a regular basis with the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, the Land Claims Commission, the Department of Water Affairs, the Department of Labour, all at both regional and national level, and local municipal structures.

To address this challenge, both centrally and at regional level, the group has compiled a comprehensive stakeholder database and introduced a formalised planning and reporting structure. Stakeholder interaction is a management priority.

At regional or estate level, the general managers are responsible for the identification of stakeholders and the management of these stakeholders, including communication and,
relationships, the reporting process and most importantly, the continuity and follow-up of matters arising from the interactions.

The group executive committee carries the responsibility for the facilitation and co-ordination of an integrated process. The group’s internal audit team periodically evaluates the results and reports thereon to the risk committee.