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OUR Risk MANAGEMENT
AfroCentric Group, like all entities, faces uncertainty and
the challenge for management is to determine how much
uncertainty to accept, as it strives to grow shareholder
value. Uncertainty presents both risk and opportunity, with
the potential to erode or enhance value. Enterprise Risk
Management enables management to effectively deal with
uncertainty and associated risk and opportunity, enhancing
the capacity to build value. AfroCentric’s value is maximised
when management sets objectives to strike an optimal
balance between growth and related risks, and effectively
deploys resources in pursuit of the entity’s objectives.
Enterprise Risk Management is described as a formal
response to corporate risk in the Institute of Risk
Management of South Africa ("IRMSA") Code of Practice. It
is considered to be a structured and systematic process that
is interwoven into existing management responsibilities.
Our Enterprise Risk Management process
AfroCentric’s structured risk management process, which is
aligned to industry standards, is detailed below:
| Our Enterprise Risk Management governance structure |
|
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Risk responsibilities
The Board is responsible for:
| • |
The governance of risk |
| • |
The determination of the levels if risk tolerance |
| • |
Ensuring that risk assessments are performed on a
continual basis |
| • |
Ensuring that management considers and implements
appropriate risk responses |
| • |
Ensuring continual risk monitoring by management |
The Risk Committee
| • |
The Risk Committee assists the Board in carrying out its
risk responsibilities. |
For more information on the responsibilities of the Risk
Committee, please refer to page 103.
The Risk Champion
| • |
Monitors risks; |
| • |
Promotes risk management awareness within his/her
departments; |
| • |
Assists in entrenching a culture of managing risks. |
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The three lines of defence governance model
AfroCentric adopts the use of the ‘three lines of defence’
governance model as a key principle of risk management.
The three lines of defence model is designed to promote
risk ownership, transparency, accountability and consistency
within the risk governance process through the clear
identification and segregation of roles.
Line 1
The ‘first line of defence’ consists of the day-to-day
management and operation of the business and requires that
line management within the business have primary 'first line'
responsibility for managing, monitoring and assessing risk.
Line 2
The ‘second line of defence’ – provided by the Risk Function
and other specialist functions – develops appropriate
risk management framework, facilitates and monitors the
implementation of effective risk management practices
by the first line and assists the risk owners in defining the
target risk exposure and reporting adequate risk-related
information in the Group. Note that many specialist
functions (e.g. HR, IT, Compliance) have both operational and
policy-setting roles, and so straddle both first and second
lines of defence. The second line of defence, when assisting/
advising the first line of defence, should not:
| • |
become a decision-maker in the first line; |
| • |
become responsible for activities carried out by the first line; |
| • |
become involved in monitoring in assessing its own work. |
Line 3
The ‘third line of defence’ provides independent assurance
on the risk management and business processes in
the first and second lines. This includes evaluating
whether the financial statements of AfroCentric and
its subsidiaries comply with the relevant statutory and
regulatory requirements, assessing the extent to which risk
management and governance practices are effective and
assessing whether the systems of control are functioning
as intended.
OUR KEY RELATIONSHIPS
How we engage with our stakeholders
Stakeholder engagement
Whilst all stakeholder relationships are important to our
business, the following stakeholders are considered the most
material and relevant and thus form the basis for the Group’s
Integrated reporting framework and the material issues to
be reported on. These stakeholders have been identified by
management and are engaged with on an ongoing basis as
described further.
Shareholders
Shareholders are our valued partners in business who have
invested in the Group for its sustainable future. The Group’s
major shareholders are actively involved on the Board of
Directors and they provide a wealth of knowledge gained
over many years of experience in business and industry.
The information distributed by the Group to the market and
shareholders via our various communication methods allows
us to keep our shareholders up to date and also provides
the contacts and encouragement for feedback from
our shareholders.
Information in this Integrated Annual Report: An
understanding of our business and the ongoing, successful
performance of the Group, as well the sustainability
measures in place, have been reported throughout the
Integrated Annual Report.
Methods of communication: Company websites, meetings,
SENS, AGM, Annual Report, announcements, analyst
meetings on request and a dedicated investor relations
function.
Customers
Our customers are pivotal to our sustainability as they
provide the cash flow and means for business growth
and profit generation. All companies within the Group
are focused on our customers and their relationship
management by engaging with them consistently and with
dedication. Various methods of engagement are used to
ensure that our customers receive quality service and the
level of satisfaction that they need.
Information in this Integrated Annual Report: The products
and services available, Group structure, an understanding
of our business and successful performance, and our vision,
mission and values are reported throughout the Integrated
Annual Report.
Methods of communication: Customer care departments, call
centres, review of customer experiences, quality assurance
department, social media, dedicated fund managers,
marketing and advertising, mobile applications, Company
websites, walk-in customer centres.
Employees
Our most valuable asset is our employees who are a
highly skilled and experienced group of individuals. The
sustainability of our business depends on our employees as
they provide the innovation, service and dedication required
to grow our business into the future. With this in mind we
engage with our employees on an almost daily basis in one
form or another.
Information in this Integrated Annual Report: The growth
and sustainability of our business is reflected throughout
the Integrated Annual Report. Specific initiatives relating
to employees are reflected on page 81 of the Sustainability
report and the Remuneration report is available on page 91.
Methods of communication: Intranet, CEO Roadshows,
training and development, open door policy, induction
programs, newsletters, human capital bulletins, screen
savers, annual award dinners, ad hoc meetings and
presentations. |