VBKOM Community Involvement

By unearthing opportunities, our solutions have the power to improve lives. This is not only true for our technical solutions, but also how we view our participation in creating a better world.

VBKOM’s main goal is to have a positive impact on the lives of others and the communities in which we work and live. We believe strongly in corporate social investment and social responsibility programmes.

We believe in giving back and making a difference in the world.

VBKOM is a B-BBEE Level 1 Contributor and prides itself on the advancement of B-BBEE and ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) goals, such as these recent initiatives in 2019 and 2020:

• As part of the Youth Employment Scheme (YES) Programme, VBKOM has employed two graduates to help build their careers.
• VBKOM has concluded a joint-venture and formed Sehlare Sa Meetlwa, a local 51% black-owned company in the Northern Cape that offers engineering consulting and procurement services to the communities in the Northern Cape.
• VBKOM contributes to the local Centurion and surrounding communities thorugh charity organisations like CancerSA and Ki-Deo Children's Home.
• VBKOM also contributes to the University of Pretoria's Social Economic Development programme, and thus investing in youth talent.
• We also taken part in a Panaroti's initiative "Pizza Bust", driven by VBKOM's Paul Obermeyer.

We look after our environment and the VBKOM-munity

The mining industry is one of South Africa’s most vital contributors when it comes to economic growth, but at what environmental cost?

For years, the mining and minerals industry has been classified as one of the biggest users of electricity and natural resources, such as water.

It is also one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions and negative environmental impacts, such as erosion, water pollution, and habitat modification.

A renewed focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles is being driven through corporate governance and financial reporting standards within the mining industry.

Environmental sustainability and conservation are two of the most topical elements of ESG, and two of the aspects that are usually most evident or measurable when change is implemented.

Cleaning up

Environmental conservation is not a new concept, but it is one that the mining industry has been taking more seriously than ever before.

Mining strategies have changed enormously in the past decade to include comprehensive environmental management systems, alternative mine planning, and greater emphasis on mine closures and mine rehabilitation.

Globally, mine designs are deliberately focussing on minimising the impact on the environment in a sustainable manner. Environmental and regulatory considerations are taken more seriously by all stakeholders and investors.

South African Regulation

South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP2019) addresses the environmental considerations not only for the mining industry, but for the country as a whole. One of the considerations is the expectation that larger electricity users, like mines, will start generating their own power to migrate away from the country’s traditional electricity provider, and to even supplement the grid supply.

VBKOM’s Risk Management Services for the investor

VBKOM focusses on three maturity levels for being responsible citizens:

• Corporate Social Investment (CSI)
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
• Corporate Citizenship

It is no longer just about the bottom line. It is about investing responsibly in the future of our people’s lives and environment.