Trialogue

19/10/2026

What does a car manufacturer bring to early childhood development?

Volkswagen Group Africa started lending vehicles to nonprofit partners in 2008, so that trainers could reach women running informal ECD centres in remote communities. Over time, the programme grew to include partners working in education, youth development and health and community wellbeing.

Read our case study on how VWGA chooses its partners, what support each vehicle comes with, and the lessons the company has taken from the experience. Link in the comments.

16/10/2026

Happy !

In Trialogue’s 2025 Handbook research, 64% of companies reported supporting food security and agriculture through their CSI, and the sector received 13% of average CSI expenditure. Food relief and feeding schemes made up just over half of that spend, at 53%.

The 2026 Handbook research, due in December, will show how company funding for food security and agriculture has shifted since.

Read our overview of CSI spend on food security and agriculture in 2025. Link in the comments.

15/10/2026

Driving impact through catalytic outcomes financing

Today, Trialogue Managing Director Nick Rockey joined fellow panellists at the Collective X Change 2026 Conference for a discussion on Catalytic Outcomes Financing — exploring approaches to funding that link investment to measurable social outcomes.

The conversation brought together diverse perspectives from Dan Berelowitz (This Day), Kasthuri Soni (Harambee Youth Employment), Kone Gugushe (FirstRand Empowerment Foundation), Lerato Lehoko (Bonds4Jobs), Lerato Mathabatha (Microsoft South Africa) and Nsika Mutasa (Collective X).

At Trialogue, we recognise the importance of collaboration and innovative financing approaches in advancing sustainable social impact.

15/10/2026

Sustainability should become a part of everyday business practice?

Trialogue MD Nick Rockey looks at the journey of corporate sustainability and the role of codes, standards and reporting along the way.

He shares Trialogue’s integrated thinking framework and the Integrated Sustainability Model, a self-assessment tool that helps organisations gauge how well sustainability is embedded across five pillars.

The full article is linked in the comments.

14/10/2026

Standard Bank Group's employee community involvement programme lets staff volunteer their time or skills, give through payroll donations, or support causes with Rand-for-Rand matched donations. A digital volunteering platform links employees with vetted nonprofit organisations, and a themed calendar of activities offers opportunities throughout the year.

Read about how Standard Bank Group’s employees multiply its social impact work. Link in the comments.

13/10/2026

Sustainability communication across 16 markets means adapting to different priorities while maintaining a single narrative.

In a Q&A with Trialogue, MTN South Africa Group chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer Nompilo Morafo explains how the company does this. In some markets the focus is digital inclusion and youth employment. In others it is energy resilience, tax contributions, governance or data privacy.

Read about how MTN South Africa decides which commitments to make publicly and how governance, expert review and independent assurance help guard against greenwashing. Link in the comments.

12/10/2026

Register for Trialogue's free webinar | Driving inclusive entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is often seen as a pathway to economic opportunity, but is it available to everyone? Who is being reached and supported, who is being left out, and what needs to change to make entrepreneurship development more inclusive?

Join Trialogue and Absa South Africa for a conversation on what inclusive entrepreneurship development and support looks like in practice.

The webinar will explore how programme design, access to markets and applied measurement can contribute to enabling young people to become economically active.

We look forward to having you join the conversation.

Date: Thursday 29 October 2026
Time: 9:30 - 11:00 SAST
Register for the webinar:
https://events.trialogue.co.za/rsvp/B2ae021LfcKw24mQ

09/10/2026

Disaster preparedness and relief is an area where corporate social investment (CSI) continues to play an important role, alongside government funding, in supporting communities affected by floods, drought and other extreme weather events.

Trialogue's overview of CSI spend on disaster preparedness and relief found that 44% of companies supported this area, with most funding going towards emergency response. Spend on rebuilding affected communities grew notably, while spend on prevention remained relatively low.

As this year's research gets underway, we'll be looking at whether these funding patterns continue to shift. Find the link to the full overview in the comments.

08/10/2026

Trialogue Social Impact Stories | Toyota’s DVZ Literacy Project

Toyota SA’s DVZ Literacy Project is helping strengthen literacy and reading comprehension among primary school learners in South Africa.

This CSI initiative highlights the role business can play in supporting learner development and building confidence through improved literacy.

Explore the story as part of Trialogue’s Social Impact Stories, in partnership with the Expresso Show:

Discover how Toyota’s DVZ Literacy Project is helping primary schoo...

07/10/2026

Exxaro CEO Ben Magara joined the Money Show's Business as a Force for Good segment last night, discussing Exxaro’s energy transition, investment in renewables and balancing its coal business with longer-term climate ambitions.

The segment marked the final instalment of a partnership between Primedia Cares and Trialogue, which aired every Tuesday at 19h20. Host Stephen Grootes spoke to CEOs and business leaders about how doing good and doing business can go hand in hand.

Listen to the full episode and catch up on Exaaro’s Q&A with Trialogue on how the mining company defines its material issues, key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets, and how these are linked to incentives to ensure operationalisation. Links in comments.