Operating a global company across a region as diverse as Eastern and Southern Africa—23 countries, from the mainland to the islands—presents a fundamental challenge. It’s easy to have a grand, global purpose. Ours is to unlock the power of food to enhance the quality of life for this generation and for generations to come. But what does that lofty statement truly mean on the ground, in a community, for a family? We’ve learned that a global purpose is meaningless unless it is made real, tangible, and local.

A Global Purpose in a Local Context

Our responsibility doesn’t start when our products hit the shelves; it begins long before. We call it our "farm to fork" philosophy, which is a commitment to own the impact of our entire value chain. This means working with small-scale farmers to improve their agricultural techniques. It means helping potential local suppliers meet our high-quality standards. It means finding sustainable methods in our manufacturing and ensuring our packaging is recyclable. And it means being accountable for what happens at the end of a product's life. It is a promise to ask ourselves at every step: will this action ensure we are still a positive force in this region 100 years from now?

Localization as an Engine for Growth

For us, the most powerful way to answer that question has been through a deliberate strategy of localization. South Africa is a nation of coffee lovers, yet for years, we imported products like our Nescafé cappuccinos. We asked ourselves a simple question: why? We have factories with the capability. We have people with talent. So, we decided to act on that potential.

With an investment of R79 million, we expanded our manufacturing plant in Hammanskraal to produce our cappuccinos right here at home. This wasn’t just a line extension; it was an investment in our community. I am especially proud that this complex engineering project was led by three brilliant women, making their mark in a traditionally male-dominated field. While this created 27 direct new jobs, it touched over 130 livelihoods. It allows us to source more raw materials locally and is a firm statement that we believe in South Africa’s potential.

Restoring Communities, Not Just Extracting Resources

Perhaps no project embodies our philosophy more than our partnership with the Macambini community in KwaZulu-Natal. Many moons ago, this community was forcibly removed from their ancestral, fertile land. When they were finally able to return, it was to a place with no infrastructure, no schools, and no opportunities. They had to start from scratch.

We saw a chance not just to source raw material, but to help rebuild a community. We partnered with them, investing R17 million every year to help re-establish their dairy farms. We provided training in advanced agricultural techniques, from cattle breeding to growing the right grass for feed. The result? The quality of their milk increased so much that the Macambini community is now our number one milk supplier in the province.

There is an immense sense of pride in this. They are back on their land, they are thriving, and they are a key partner to a multinational corporation. This is what we mean by shared value.

The Power of Partnership for Sustainable Impact

We know we cannot do this alone. The scale of the challenges, particularly youth unemployment, requires a collaborative ecosystem. The Macambini project involves driving entrepreneurship and creating jobs for the youth in the community. To scale this impact further, we’ve joined the "Alliance for YOUth," a coalition of companies like Microsoft and others, with the collective goal of creating one million job opportunities by 2030. True, sustainable impact is not a solo endeavor.

Beyond a PR Campaign: Building a 100-Year Legacy

It would be easy to treat these initiatives as once-off projects-a good PR campaign for the year, and then move on. But that is not our way. When we leave a community, we want to know that they will not just survive, but thrive. When we invest in a local factory, we are planting roots. Our work is driven by the belief that profitability and positive social impact are not mutually exclusive; they are deeply intertwined. We are not just here for today. We are building a legacy, one local partnership at a time, to ensure we are fulfilling our promise for the next 100 years.

This article was repurposed from Conny’s original presentation at the 4th instalment of the Impact Series and the topic therein was; “Corporates As A Force For Good In Communities” which can be found Thinkerneur’s YouTube page - see link here.