Our social performance

				2024*							2023*
Occupation level	Male	Female	Black	White	Foreign	Total	%	Male	Female	Black	White	Foreign	Total	%
Total	1 573	3 539	4 378	700	34	5 112	100	1 413	3 362	4 010	730	35	4 775	100
Full-time equivalent	1 573	3 539	4 378	700	34	5 112	100	1 413	3 362	4 010	730	35	4 775	100
Per employee category
Permanent	1 531	3 468	4 275	693	31	4 999	98	1 352	3 285	3 890	714	33	4 637	97
Temporary	42	71	103	7	3	113	2	61	77	120	16	2	138	3
Full time	1 573	3 539	4 378	700	34	5 112	100	1 413	3 362	4 010	730	35	4 775	100

 

*	These are SA employees and not the total group including Namibia and Mauritius.

Staff movement

In the past year, AfroCentric has seen an increase in directors from previously disadvantaged groups, a significant pragmatic step to improve top management-level transformation.

				2023/2024*							2022/2023*
Occupation level	Male	Female	Black	White	Foreign	Total	%	Male	Female	Black	White	Foreign	Total	%
Top management	3	0	2	1	0	3	0.4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Senior management	5	1	4	2	0	6	0.8	4	3	7	0	0	7	1
Professionally qualified	20	43	52	10	1	63	8.3	19	45	42	21	1	64	8.8
Skilled	141	266	382	25	0	407	53.8	115	322	395	41	1	437	60.4
Semiskilled	113	163	270	6	0	276	36.5	62	151	206	7	0	213	29.4
Unskilled	0	1	1	0	0	1	0.1	3	0	3	0	0	3	0.4
Grand total	282	474	711	44	1	756	100	203	521	653	69	2	724	100
	37.3%	62.7%	94%	5.8%	0.1%	100%		28%	72%	90.2%	9.5%	0.3%	100%

As part of our efforts to drive diversity and transformation, there was a 3.85% improvement in previously disadvantaged groups’ recruitment overall during 2024 compared to 2023. Despite the ongoing war on talent, we attracted an additional 63 employees at the professionally qualified occupational level. This is crucial to our succession strategy to create a talent pool for the next level.

New employee hires and turnover

By gender

	Male	Female	Total*
Total number of new employees	282	474	756
New employee hire rate	37.3%	62.7%	100%
Total employee turnover	4.4%	10.4%	14.8%
New employee turnover rate	0.9%	1.6%	2.5%

By age

	Under 30	30 – 50	Over 50	Total*
Total number of new employees	214	517	25	756
New employee hire rate	28.3%	68.4%	3.3%	100%
Total employee turnover	18.3%	14.8%	12%	14.8%
New employee turnover rate	0.8%	1.6%	0.1%	2.5%

*	These are SA employees and not the total group including Namibia and Mauritius.

By race

	African	Indian/Asian	Coloured	White	Foreign	Total*
Total number of new employees	554	37	120	44	1	756
New employee hire rate	73.3%	4.9%	15.9%	5.8%	0.1%	100%
Total employee turnover	8.9%	0.6%	3.4%	1.9%	0%	14.8%
New employee turnover rate	1.8%	0.5%	0.1%	0.1%	0%	2.5%

Our culture journey – refreshing and re-connecting to a values-driven culture

Our culture journey has spanned almost six years. Over this time, our business’s culture has consistently been one of its most vital success factors. We have sustained a workforce of engaged and productive employees supported by committed leadership and grounded by a robust set of organisational values.

The Group has grown considerably. Some of these changes include changes in leadership roles, partnering with new subsidiaries and diversifying our distribution services offering, among others. The growth across the Group presents an opportunity to re-evaluate our organisational values as we seek to align with the Sanlam Group.

Employee experience

We have designed our employee experience programmes and activities to align with the organisation’s purpose and establish practices that help our employees thrive. Our focus for the year has been on achieving the following key outcomes:

Employee wellbeing

We understand the importance of employee wellbeing in contributing to our organisation’s overall success and health. It can enhance employee engagement and foster a high-performance culture. Therefore, we prioritise creating positive employee experiences. Our goal is to further improve this through our comprehensive and personalised employee wellness programme.

A holistic wellness strategy and approach encompassing psychological, financial, organisational, physical and social wellness has been implemented.

In addition to the medical aid provided to staff, we introduced an affordable primary health insurance option to support our employees in lower-income brackets. This initiative caters to the pressing need for quality, affordable medical coverage that is straightforward and easily accessible. Employees earning below a specified threshold may also be eligible for up to 50% subsidy.

During the year, 3 031 clinic consultations were undertaken at our various offices, with employees utilising the services for health checks, medication administration and family planning.

1 103 individual cases were opened and managed in the period under review. The individual utilisation rate of 21.0% was above the sector average of 4.5%, with 794 individual employees and 72 dependents accessing the services.

Our analysis from our EAP indicated that stress, family issues, bereavement, legal advice, and anxiety were the critical services accessed by staff. Continuing the trend from 2023, our wellness programme revealed that financial stress was a top concern, along with a new risk – a high percentage of employees are at risk for cardiovascular diseases.

Over the past year, the wellness department has implemented a comprehensive wellness intervention strategy to enhance the overall wellbeing of the Company’s employees. The Mental Health Programme established a think tank and hosted round table sessions to address mental health issues, alongside a resilience programme and regular communiqués to promote mental wellbeing. The health programme included webinars on men’s and women’s health, a Movember Shavathon event, and a breast cancer webinar, complemented by a series of communiqués and a Monthly Walkathon to encourage physical wellness.

In the realm of health risk management, the department reviewed the absenteeism, incapacity, and ill-health policy. The women’s empowerment programme featured a variety of webinars, the launch of mommy rooms, and fireside conversations to support and empower female employees and new parents. Financial wellness was addressed through coaching clinics, retirement planning seminars, benefits roadshows, and webinars, focusing on providing employees with the knowledge and tools to manage their financial health.

Team alignment and health were fostered through arts programmes, integration sessions, and team leader engagements, while governance saw a review of several key policies and the automation of the return-to-work form. These initiatives reflect the department’s dedication to creating a supportive environment that caters to the workforce’s diverse needs, ultimately contributing to a more engaged and productive team.

Workplace health and safety are central to our human capital priorities. Beyond meeting regulatory requirements, we view health and safety as a foundational responsibility. As the workplace evolves, we regularly update our health and safety protocols. Through consistent training, safety assessments, and open communication, we aim to maintain an environment where our team can thrive safely and confidently.

	July 2023 to June 2024	July 2022 to June 2023
Fatalities	0	0
Lost day cases	15	49.5
Restricted duty cases	0	0
Medical treatment cases	25	13
Hours worked	9 316 964	8 589 572
TRIR*	0.86	1.46

*	Total recordable incidences rate (TRIR).

Partnerships that enhance our employee experience

AfroCentric has partnered with a reputable financial services partner to create a banking proposition for all staff, including home loans, vehicle finance, investments, and solar/capital assistance. We place importance on ensuring our employees not only have access to financial services but also can negotiate reduced fees and additional benefits.

Recognition programme

Our Ignite Recognition initiative aims to acknowledge and recognise employees, teams, and leaders for living the Group’s values and purpose and reward excellence when employees go above and beyond. The recognition programme is leader-led, thus enabled and supported by the Group’s leaders.

The programme also recognises the positive difference we make to the communities in which we live and operate. It further strives to drive the Group strategy by leveraging our full AfroCentric potential by recognising out-of-the-ordinary collaboration, integration, and innovative initiatives.

Our first Ignite Awards ceremony was held on 21 February 2024 in Johannesburg, where we celebrated our employees’ incredible talents and achievements.

With over 200 nominations received, we have seen remarkable interest and participation since the launch of this initiative.

The various categories awarded included:

• Shaping our future: Driving the strategy by leveraging our full AfroCentric potential by collaborating, integrating and innovating
• AfroCentric Citizen: Living our purpose and values – transforming lives for our customers, clients, people and partners
• Community Citizen: These teams exemplify the AfroCentric Group’s commitment to making a positive difference in the communities we live and operate in

Work arrangements that are fit for our business

We introduced a new working arrangements policy as the Group positions itself as a hybrid workplace. Alternatives such as fully remote roles and hybrid roles form part of our new ways of work as we strive to attract and retain the best talent in the healthcare industry. The policy allows staff to choose from various modalities within the context of operational requirements.

Employee listening strategy

In continually investing in employer-employee relations to improve employee experience and engagement, our listening strategy, a deliberately planned and orchestrated approach to obtaining relevant insights from or about employees, has yielded positive, impactful interventions.

For nearly five years, our Voice of the Employee survey has been instrumental in guiding our initiatives. Following the successful completion of the Sanlam transaction, we recognise the critical importance of effective integration post-acquisition.

AfroCentric successfully conducted its inaugural pulse survey, achieving a satisfactory pulse score of 81%. The survey highlighted critical focus areas, notably leadership, management and career development, where targeted interventions are being considered. The flight risk indicator stood at 11%, which reflects the transitional uncertainties associated with our ongoing strategic refresh.

Looking ahead to 2025, our pulse surveys will be refined to better align with AfroCentric’s unique context, building on the Sanlam Group framework utilised this year. Additionally, a comprehensive culture review will be conducted through the Sanlam Culture Barrett Survey in the second quarter of 2025.

Top Employer 2023/2024

After AfroCentric’s first measurement, we are proud to announce that we have attained the status of one of South Africa’s Top Employers, as designated by the globally recognised Top Employers Institute.

The Top Employers Institute’s rigorous certification process evaluates organisations based on their performance in crucial human capital domains, including people strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, diversity, equity and inclusion, wellbeing and more.

The Top Employers Institute Certification Programme has certified and recognised over 2 300 Top Employers in 121 countries/ regions, positively impacting the lives of over 12 million employees globally.

Leadership development

Through our accredited Learning and Performance Academy, we promote a learning culture and provide opportunities for leaders to participate in our team leader or line manager curriculums.

Performance management

AfroCentric uses a balanced scorecard (BSC) approach for performance management. The BSC provides management with the tools to drive competitive success. It translates the organisation's strategy into performance measures that provide the framework for a strategic measurement and management system.

When managing individual performance, we aim for a mutually beneficial environment where managers and employees share clear expectations and objectives. Employees participate in all phases of the performance management process and share ownership of the outcomes with the organisation.

Continuous conversations, feedback and development

Managing performance is not an annual event but a continual process of feedback and collaboration. Performance discussions are therefore expected to cover more than simply performance ratings. Instead, leaders should have regular, meaningful conversations to close performance gaps and enable individuals to understand how their performance and behaviour link to the organisational strategy and how their contributions drive business growth.

Our performance management system aims to enable:

• A streamlined performance management process to direct line managers' time from administrative activities to ongoing performance conversations
• High-quality performance discussions, giving employees more frequent feedback and addressing performance gaps in real time
• The creation of a high-performance culture within the organisation
• Employee-led performance management
• Difficult conversations that drive positive change

TRANSFORMATION AND B-BBEE

As the most transformed health-related business listed in South Africa, we are committed to corporate citizenship, driving transformation and upholding our social licence to operate. The Group invests in healthcare-related companies, and our contribution to healthcare extends beyond our products and services. Our social impact starts within the Group and extends to the suppliers and communities we directly impact, as well as the broader society affected by our health management initiatives. We value diversity, equity and inclusion and aim to create an environment where differences are valued, as demonstrated by our diverse workforce and supply chain.

B-BBEE creates opportunity while mitigating operational risk

AfroCentric's transformation framework supports national strategic priorities and our purpose of creating sustainable healthcare solutions to enhance our stakeholders' quality of life.

The degree of the Group's alignment of B-BBEE policies and practices to the requirements of the different transformation-related legislation in support of the South African Government's overall economic transformation includes, but is not limited to:

• The NDP 2030
• The National Strategy for Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment
• The Revised Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act 53 and related amendments
• The Amended Codes of Good Practice on Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment of 2013
• The Employment Equity Amendment Act of 2014 and associated regulations
• Skills Development Act and related Skills Development Levies Act
• The Preferential Procurement Act

ELEMENT WEIGHTING	Weighting	2024	2023	2022
Equity ownership	25.00	24.93	25.00	25.00
Management control	19.00	14.71	13.93	14.01
Skills development	20.00	13.33	20.25	14.47
Enterprise and supplier development	(+5 bonus points)	44.19	35.90	40.59
SED	40.00	5.00	5.00	5.00
Total	(+4 bonus points)	102.17	100.08	99.07
B-BBEE level	5.00	Level 1	Level 1	Level 2
AfroCentric Health Limited BEE Status	109	Level 1	Level 1	Level 1
AfroCentric Investment Corporation Limited BEE Status	(+9 bonus points)	Level 1	Level 1	Level 2

ACT OWNERSHIP PROFILE	2024	2023	2022
Black exercisable voting rights	59.22	50.43	50.28
Black exercisable voting rights by black females	25.68	17.66	16.45
Black entitlement to economic interest	54.73	50.43	50.18
Entitlement to economic interest by black women	22.81	17.66	16.39
Economic interest that flows through to black-designated groups	3.86	6.95	11.63
Involvement of ownership of the enterprise of black new entrants	1.93	3.04	2.24

The 2024 B-BBEE certificate issued on 8 December 2023 is valid until 7 December 2024.

SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITIES

We recognise that the sustainability of AfroCentric is closely linked to the socioeconomic environments in which our businesses exist. Accordingly, our role as a socially responsible enterprise includes a strong focus on supporting broader communities, and we are dedicated to improving community life and access to economic opportunities.

Bursaries

We continued investment in bursaries for students from previously disadvantaged groups, including six medical students (2023: four) and two more students pursuing their bachelor’s in pharmaceuticals (2023: two). We also awarded bursaries to 10 nursing students. The total funding for the period for these bursaries was R5.2 million.

South African Business Coalition on Health and AIDS (SABCOHA)

SABCOHA is a coalition of privately-owned companies and organisations committed to investing their resources to harness employee health and create healthier workplaces to impact workforces and host communities to promote sustained economic growth and wellbeing. We invested R1 million towards their mission during the year (2023: R2 million).

Eluthandweni Maternity Health Services

Eluthandweni started as a birthing clinic and now, with the addition of a satellite branch in Alberton Mall, offers various services such as prenatal care, family planning, and child immunisation.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

As a purpose-driven Group, upholding human rights across our value chain is critical. In line with this objective, during the year:

• No operations were subject to human rights reviews or human rights impact assessments
• No violations of human rights were reported
• No issues were raised that indicated that the business was not supporting and respecting the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights
• There was no indication that the business was complicit in human rights abuses
• Whistleblowing reports are one of the sources used to determine conduct issues, and there were no issues raised regarding human rights abuses through this reporting channel
• We did not subscribe to forced or compulsory labour
• We did not employ individuals aged younger than 18
• No discrimination was identified concerning employment and occupation
• There were no material risk events reported pertaining to human rights breaches
• Whistleblowing reports and grievances do not indicate any failure in this regard