Colcom Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability
Human Capital
As of June 2023, 1 412 people were employed by Colcom Foods, of which 609 people (43%) are employed across the five pig production units. 58% of the workforce comprises of permanent employees, while the remainder are employed on a seasonal contract basis.
Women make up 224 (16%) of the entire workforce and with a sizable representation in senior management roles.
To meet the ever-increasing market demands, the factory operates 2 shifts per day on most lines.
34 Colcom employees received Long Service Awards in F2023, with 9 of these individuals having worked in the business for 15 years while another 13 were recognised for 25 years of service. 5 members of staff celebrated 35 years of service while Mr Langton Pasipamire reached the auspicious milestone of 40 years of service to Colcom.
Colcom women in the Executive and Management Team: Top row (Left to right): Marlise van As, Pamela Kwendambairi, Ivy Mushaninga, Sibusisiwe Dhliwayo, Susan Chipamaunga, Elena Gonye. Bottom row (left to right): Paidamoyo Tabengwa, Magugu Gumbo, Mandy Murebwa, Norita Adams
Colcom’s Longest-Serving Employees F2023: Left to right: Langton Pasipamire (40 years), Tawonerera Mwaramba (35 years), Ressina Muchakagara (30 years), Phineas Mabuka (35 years), Honest Moyo (35 years)
Colcom continues to provide its employees with robust training and upskilling opportunities. In F2023, these programmes involved 635 employees and over 9 000 man-hours.
Food Safety Standards Certification (FSSC 22000), and environmental and pig handling training formed a major part of the training agenda as the business strives to upgrade facilities and operations to achieve the benchmark of international standards. Other training included Finance Training and Operational Procedures as well as specific modules for internal auditors, workers’ committee responsibilities and team building. Training was put in place to create awareness of drugs and substance abuse and to educate staff on the impact of growing substance abuse in our community.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
In F2023, Colcom Foods contributed over USD 309 000 to a variety of its philanthropic as well as community and staff oriented activities. This made up 4.1% of Colcom’s Profit after Tax.
Corporate Social Responsibility Spend: F2023
USD309 000
Focusing in particular on providing support to vulnerable groups within the communities it operates.
Philanthropic donations
As a food manufacturer, Colcom continued to fulfill its primary philanthropic activities by donating products to feed vulnerable individuals in the community. Weekly, Colcom provides almost 1 500 meals to selected registered charities. These include children’s homes (Rose of Sharon, Chinyaradzo’s Children Home and Vimbainesu Children’s Home, Homefields, St Marcellin Children’s Village), support people with disabilities (Emerald Hill Home for Deaf, St Joseph, St Christopher’s Children with Disability, Jairos Jiri Association), and the retirement home Athol Evans.
To cater for the senior citizen community, Colcom Shops re-introduced a weekly Pensioners Day across all its branches. In addition to a 10% discount on the day, senior citizens at the Coventry Road branch also get a free meal on the day.
Staff Welfare
Colcom Foods prides itself on being a preferred employer in the context of the Zimbabwean economy.
Colcom Triple C Farm School bus
Canteen
The canteen provides nutritiously balanced meals to staff daily, and every shift, which are prepared by uniformed catering service providers at Coventry Road and in-house kitchen staff at other sites.
Education - internships and attachments
Every year, Colcom takes students on attachment in Finance, IT, Engineering, Quality, Food Science and SHEQ departments. These students are recruited from various local universities across the country. Of the 14 students enrolled in F2023, 9 students (60%) were female. In addition to the above, every two years, and as part of developing a talent pipeline, Colcom takes on graduate trainees into the Finance, Engineering, and IT departments.
Education - TOPP Programme
This programme was developed specifically to enhance the studies of top-performing finance employees in the organisation. Colcom is sponsoring 80% of tuition fees for five of its assistant accountants.
Colcom TOPP’s Beneficiaries 2023 (Left to right): Elia Kamonera, Willard Chipangura, Tonderai Gonamombe, Panashe Mukwati
Schooling
At Triple C Farm, more than 300 children of the farm employees are assisted with fees for both junior and senior school. This comes up to USD 22 000 per year.
All Colcom farms provide school-going children with daily transport to and from their various schools, spending over USD 14 000 per annum on logistics.
Triple C Farm also runs a local crèche that is attended by both children of the farm workers as well as those of the local community.
Sporting Activities
To keep staff engaged in recreational activities there are several sporting activities supported by the Company.
The Company has an extremely passionate 5-Aside social soccer squad at Colcom Harare. Every Wednesday, games are played in Harare, and the team competes in the annual Innscor competition. The team comprises of members of staff from Finance, HC, Sales, Marketing and Security departments and is a great team-building activity. Last year Colcom Foods won the “World Cup” Innscor trophy.
Triple C Farm also has its own soccer team, which is playing in the country’s Mashonaland West Division 2B.
The farm also sponsors a volleyball and netball team. Sponsorship is through affiliations to the various leagues, travelling costs, game fees and sporting attire.
In addition to this, Colcom’s Triple C farm maintains the Norton Country Club (Right).
The Club includes an 18-hole golf course, squash and tennis courts and a clubhouse, benefitting the entire Norton community with excellent recreational facilities and promoting the community’s social cohesion.
Sustainability
One of the initiatives Colcom engages in is the distribution of over 30 tonnes of organic manure to local farmers near Colcom farms, with 15-20 farmers benefiting weekly from this scheme.
Clean-up campaign assistance at Norton Police Station
In line with this, Grasmere Farm provides a neighbouring farm with 300 000L of organic fertiliser for agricultural purposes daily. The fertiliser value amounts to over USD 36 800 per year.
Every first Friday of the month, Triple C Farm staff also take part in the National Clean Up campaign at the Grasmere Farm. Every term they assist in cutting grass at 5 local school grounds as well as at the local ZRP Station.
Triple C also maintains 18 km of road between Colcom’s Lion’s Head Farm and Musiiwa Growth point.
Health
All staff are offered onsite Clinic Services managed by a Registered Nurse with a visiting Medical Doctor.
A clinic at Colcom’s Triple C Farm caters for the welfare of its employees. Dependents of the employees are also given access to facilities and are given medical assistance for free at this onsite clinic.
Additionally, the surrounding community benefits from the clinic as they can receive free treatment from the clinic.
In F2023, the Triple C Clinic attended 3 731 employee cases and 2 860 employee dependents. A total of 242 patients from the nearby community were additionally served in the same period. Although the clinic receives a government supply of drugs, the cost of treatments is subsidised by the Company’s financial assistance.
The clinic at Colcom Foods managed 1 483 cases in F2023, in addition to daily medical testing for all food handlers.
Environment & Animal Welfare
African Swine Fever (ASF) as well as Foot & Mouth disease are significant risks to all players in the meat industry. To protect its herds, Colcom’s Triple C’s compartmentalised farms invest USD 36 000 per annum in biosecurity activities to prevent this.
In the past, Triple C has engaged with the Government’s Veterinary Department and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to rapidly contain any reported outbreak of ASF wherever such occurs in Zimbabwe.
Furthermore, Colcom supports Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) nationally as well as Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Zimbabwe (VAWZ) fundraising efforts contributing USD 2 000 annually towards their animal welfare activities.
Colcom Shop Mutare works closely with the SPCA Mutare branch, making it their very own community project, contributing in terms of pet food and fundraising efforts.
Significant amounts were spent in F2023 on activities linked to environmental conservation across all the farms, such as regular fireguard maintenance, adequate waste management infrastructure, and tree planting activities. Colcom also supported EMA’s Community Based Veld Fire Management Training as well as Environmental Sustainability Awareness Week.
Certification
The Foundation FSSC (Food Safety System Certification) provides a certification scheme, FSSC 22000, that ensures a robust food safety management system to control food safety hazards, minimise risks, and ensure safe food production. Reliability in delivering safe food contributes to consumer trust and, eventually, consumer loyalty. The certification is recognised by the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative).
After an extensive and detailed process, Colcom attained FSSC 22000 certification for its abattoir, making it the first and only FSSC 22000 certified pork abattoir in the country. Compliance with the requirements of the FSSC 22000 standard demonstrates the Company’s commitment to food safety, quality and continual improvement, assuring consumers that pork is handled according to recognised global food safety standards.
Certification of the abattoir is the first and crucial step towards Colcom’s ultimate goal - a fully FSSC 22000-compliant organisation.
Colcom FSSC 22000 Team: Top row (left to right): Frank Machobani, Witness Mlambo, Marlise Van As, Lawrence Makoto Bottom row (left to right): Sibusisiwe Dhliwayo, Amon Moroka, Vongai Korio, Tatenda Shayimana