Societal purpose: A catalyst for positive change

PwC’s focus on Our Humanity is a catalyst for positive change and societal impact on the African continent. We are deeply committed to our purpose, which is to build trust in society and solve important problems.

At the core of Our Humanity lies our societal purpose—a holistic approach that harnesses the collective potential of our community of solvers. However, we are only half the story. Working collaboratively with our clients and the communities where we operate is pivotal for us to deliver sustained outcomes and build trust for a greater societal impact.

Through Our Humanity, we are fueling a movement that excites passion, drives innovation and inspires progress. It’s a rallying cry that ignites the humanity within each of us, empowering us to tackle challenges head-on and shape a better future for all.

Our societal purpose is built on three pillars:

By aligning our efforts across these three pillars to seven of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, and climate action, we are making a tangible, meaningful impact on society and reimagining what's possible for Africa, together. This is our societal purpose, brought to life.

Through our Community pillar, we extend our reach into the heartlands of South Africa, uplifting and empowering those around us. The Faranani Rural Women Training Initiative stands out as a shining example, having equipped over 4,200 women from rural areas across eight provinces with the entrepreneurial acumen to generate their own income and contribute to the nation’s economy. With training spanning from business skills like marketing, financial management and business plan development, 68% of graduates have increased profitability. They are also meaningfully contributing to the economy by creating sustainable job opportunities in the communities in which they operate.

The Lebalelo Water User Association (LWUA) was established in 2002 to supply bulk raw water to both the mining sector and communities in Limpopo, South Africa. The purpose was to improve lives through water. As part of our client work, PwC updated a 2019 baseline study and socio-economic impact assessment for LWUA, while also determining the economic viability of a proposed project—showcasing trusted partnership that has spanned years. Our work has enabled LWUA to make informed decisions, mitigate negative impacts and enhance the positive socio-economic effects of their water infrastructure projects on local communities. By quantifying costs and benefits, we’ve helped ensure efficient resource allocation towards economically viable initiatives that align with broader societal goals of sustainable development and community well-being in the region.

Building on environmental impact assessments, PwC provides tools to help organisations quantify and reduce emissions across their value chains. Our automated application enabled tracking PwC Africa's emissions for our 2030 net zero goals. We've now launched the Value Chain Sustainability Insights tool for clients to manage full value chain emissions cost-effectively, fostering collaborative environmental action.

This new application offers an accessible solution for organisations seeking to manage their full value chain of emissions, across Scopes 1,2 and 3. Clients can start seeing results immediately, with the application designed to set itself apart from the more resource-intensive and costly alternatives in the market. By identifying emission hotspots and prioritising suppliers, organisations can then take targeted actions to reduce emissions and achieve their sustainability targets.

Our Firm pillar embodies our commitment to sustainability and achieving net zero emissions across operations by 2030. Our multi-pronged approach includes reducing emissions, improving energy efficiency, transitioning to renewable energy, offsetting residual emissions through carbon removal projects, and collaboratively engaging suppliers.

A key focus is our supplier engagement programme, where we've worked closely with our Top 40 suppliers across Africa who contribute most to our supply chain emissions to help them establish science-based emission reduction targets. Our renewable energy efforts are also yielding results—100% of our electricity in South Africa and 84% in Africa came either from green sources through solar installations or purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates. While notable, these are just a few examples of the numerous initiatives driving our net zero goals and commitment to transformative sustainability action across our firm's operations.

We have intentionally embraced the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), a blueprint for creating positive change worldwide. Our Youth Empowerment Programme aligns with this vision by contributing to quality education and decent work opportunities. Moreover, our newly established SATIC (technology delivery centre) brings together industry expertise and technical capabilities to innovate, build, and deploy digital business solutions. This initiative aims to address unemployment and foster economic growth by employing over 1,000 individuals in the coming years.

Our efforts resonate with the global call to action set forth by the UN SDGs. In the forthcoming months and years, SATIC will invest in running and supporting numerous youth development programmes. These programmes will focus on empowering students with enhanced social skills, providing relevant technical and business knowledge through on-the-job exposure, nurturing future leaders, and fostering effective professional networks and relationships. By cultivating a future-fit talent pool, we are actively contributing to the SDGs' objectives.

Our societal purpose represents more than a strategy—it is an ethos, a guiding light that blazes a trail towards a future brimming with possibility. By weaving this purpose into every thread of our operations, we foster a culture of purposeful problem-solving, where innovation thrives and our collective impact resonates far beyond balance sheets.