Our policy on Social Responsibility is an ever changing living element in our overall approach to Corporate Sustainability. We understand that as a member of the community we have an obligation to act for the benefit of society as a whole while at the same time striking a balance between the economy and the various ecosystems we operate in. Our responsibility is both passive (by not engaging in socially harmful acts) and active (by performing activities that directly advance our social goals).
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Enhancing Education: Bringing Mobile Library Units to Wentworth Primary School in Partnership with Yusuf Karodia Foundation
On September 7th 2023, we had the honour of donating three Mobile Libraries to Wentworth Primary School. Being an integral part of our wider community, with our operations based in Jacobs, we recognized a pressing social responsibility within this community. In collaboration with the Yusuf Karodia Foundation, we identified the need to address the lack of library facilities at Wentworth Primary School. Prior to our initiative, the school had no access to library resources. We are immensely proud to have bridged this gap and provided the deserving students and educators at Wentworth Primary School with these Mobile Library Units. We believe these libraries will greatly enhance the learning environment, fostering a culture of knowledge and curiosity among the students.
MANDELA DAY 2023
Alumnus and CEO of Tropic Plastic Gives Back
Photo: Mr Ismail Simjee, Prof Anesh Singh
Tropic Plastic & Packaging Industry (Pty) Ltd is a family owned business established over 55 years ago. The company was founded by Ebrahim Bhabha in the 1960s. It was then taken over by Mr Fazel Bhabha who had a vision of growing the enterprise to be one of the largest in the country. Today Tropic Plastic is the largest flexible packaging company in South Africa and one of the largest in Africa under the leadership of Ismail Simjee, the current managing director. Tropic Plastic employs over 600 staff and has a manufacturing plant which expands over 35 000 square metres. Tropic Plastic has the largest extrusion, printing and bagging capacities in South Africa and supplies a host of multinationals across Africa. These include Unilever, Coca-Cola, Heineken, Astral Foods, Premier Foods, Pioneer Foods, Nestle, Clover and AB-Inbev.
Tropic Plastic has a rich history of investing in its human capital and has developed a strong, close knit bond with staff who have become family over the years. According to Simjee “our focus has always been on uplifting and developing our staff through our internal skills and learnership programs as well as our coaching and mentoring programs. We also donate to various schools in our community to assist them in empowering their learners with much needed resources such as notebooks and stationery. Our partnerships with our various suppliers make these contributions a part of our upliftment programmes.” Additionally, Tropic Plastic makes annual contributions to various Non-Governmental Organisations, such as the Action for Blind and Disabled, who support the disabled, under privileged, destitute and poverty stricken sectors of the community.
Tropic Plastic chose to support students at UKZN because Ismail Simjee is an alumnus of the institution. Simjee holds a B Com degree majoring in Management Accounting, Finance, Economics and Taxation. “I spent endless nights in the library studying to achieve my personal goals and I came across many underprivileged fellow students along the way. Many of these students had to work multiple jobs to pay for their student loans and get a hot meal on their table. Because of this, we have decided to invest in our future graduates and allow them the time to study and achieve their academic goals without financial distractions” said Simjee.
When asked what outcome Tropic Plastic expected from their substantial donation, Simjee responded “The main outcome is to empower South African youth as we would like to develop future professionals and leaders who can make our country a better place.” Simjee committed to continue investing at UKZN as part of their ongoing CSI strategy “especially if students grabbed this opportunity with both hands to work to their full potential”.
A final word of inspiration from Simjee to the Tropic Plastic Bursary recipients “Work hard, stay committed to your goals and bear in mind that nothing is impossible. If you continue to seek knowledge and invest in your future, the sky is the limit.”
KZN Kidney Foundation December 2019
KZN Kidney Foundation 2015
