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The Salama Fikira statements about our Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) framework are intended for both internal guidance and external consumption. One  statement exists for both audiences.

Introduction

ESG distinguishes itself from other business models such as CSR by specifically linking environmental, social and governance elements to not only financial decision making but also to short, medium and long term performance and to value creation.  In short, ESG is all about managing risk, and managing risk is what SF Group is all about. It’s in our DNA and the company was established to deliver ESG based, risk tempered business solutions in some of the most unstable regions in Africa.

ESG is particularly driven by the need to create visibility of our company values. Customers, partners, staff and the public want to see that we care about the things they care about. People want to understand the values which drive the company, and how those values shape the way we manage ESG risks.  

Our Values

The values of SF Group shape how we do business and inform our ESG framework. Our values are grouped under three broad concepts, viz ‘people at the centre’, ‘reinforcing communities’ and ‘responsible business’.

People at the centre

Value the individual.

Develop and grow the individual.

The whole person is valuable – we are not interested in simply the capacity to work, or the skills they offer.

Body, mind, and spirit are valuable and inherently so, not because of tribe, colour, inheritance, gender, skills, age or any other factor.

Preserve the individual. Our safety and health policies and practices are designed to ensure the individual is safe and healthy. The group does not thrive at the expense of the individual.

The individual is treated with dignity and respect. Our governance is designed to ensure the individual is safe from abuse, trafficking, starvation, and any other form of unethical behaviour.

Justice is available to every individual. Access to justice is not the preserve of the wealthy or privileged. Our governance ensures there is accountability and transparency and that systems and communities cannot obscure or harbour abuse and neglect of the individual.

The individual has a voice. We listen and we act. We provide formal and informal mechanisms which ensure the individual is heard.

Reinforcing Communities

No individual is developed outside their community. We grow the two together.

Healthy communities grow healthy individuals and healthy individuals grow balanced communities.

Balanced communities are empowered by commerce and our aim is to inspire, motivate and reinforce through active involvement of our business with the business of our communities.

Respect culture, leadership, history, aspirations, societal structures.

Give communities the resources they need to thrive. Education, health, good governance.

Empower community through both envisioning (benefits of environment, conservation, education, health, collaboration, gaining a voice) and enabling  (training, resources, partnerships with government).

Responsible Business

Transparent – to individuals and communities.

Setting governance and accountability standards which benefit persons in and out of the company.

Ethical behaviour which never compromises or exploits any person or any community.

Standards that are global best practise and which can be tested by any individual or community.

Protect the business with prudent, experienced, wise third party (independent) advice such that no individual in or out of the company, or any community with which it interacts, is disadvantaged.

Given the nature of our business an intentional, independent, witting and effective ethics committee which tests business concepts and propositions as required.

Governance

Given the nature of our core markets the primary ESG component which was established on start up in 2005 was that of governance, bringing an accountable way of doing business to the Horn of Africa. This was especially relevant in business scenarios  usually not associated with this sort of oversight – the rescue of crews from hijacked ships and managing the delivery of ships and their cargoes.

Governance is reflected in the way we do business. It’s reflected in our formal structures such as our Board of Directors and the Board’s guiding charter. It’s maintained by our policies and internal training which is reviewed and refreshed every year – such as our Code of Conduct training. And it is found in our ISO regime. We are members of ICoCA and are subscribers to the UN Global Compact.

Salama Fikira has a formally appointed an Ethics Committee which includes membership outside the corporate structure of the company. The committee is consulted by any member of the organisation for any business reason.

The company has formal Anti Bribery and Corruption policies and associated training which is refreshed annually.

Our Governance Principles

Internal high standards discerning right versus wrong
External guides/objective standards
Self test and external test and audit
People lie at the heart of governance
Active participation in global standards
Build a positive and meaningful legacy

Social

Governance does not function in a vacuum. It guides how we interact with people. Our treatment of people is also shaped by our social approach to projects and business.

It’s a point of pride that the company has pursued social based programs even before they became codified in ESG or SDG frames. We are not the first to do so, nor are we the only ones, but we do know this is how we have always operated and it is how we intend to continue.

What does ‘social’ look like in SF Group? It looks like a company that seeks to bring long lasting value to a community or communities in which projects are carried out. We define value as anything which brings dignity, employment, training, empowerment, a voice and recognition of culture and history.

Words like empowerment and engagement can lose their meaning (yes we do use them), can be ambiguous, and don’t always define needs or even what the results of social action might be. So instead of using these sorts of words we borrow from the aid and development world which defines poverty as ‘the inability to make a choice’ or ‘the lack of choices’. If we look at SDGs as a template, poverty can be defined as an inability to say, choose what I drink. Can I choose where I sleep? Can I choose what I eat? Can I choose education, health and so on? Lack of choice is a potent way to define poverty.

When we set out to deliver social benefits to a community we define that work in terms of creating choice. Improved range of choice defines the social agenda of SF Group. I can choose where and when I work. I can chose what i need for my family. I can chose better healthcare. 

Case Study

Click here for a case study on how ‘social’ shapes how we do business.

Our Social Principles

Focus on the dignity of the individual
Create choices
Make community the foundation of best business practise
Invest in the future of the individual and their community.
Align with SDGs
Leave a positive and meaningful legacy

Environment

The people and communities in whom we invest and with whom we work thrive when their environment is optimised. The company has a proud history of actively designing solutions which do not compromise the environment in which projects are delivered. We are actively engaged in environmental issues, causes and campaigns. The company founder and Chairman has a deep passion for African wildlife, underpinning his support of the Tsavo Trust in Kenya and the training of game rangers in places like the DRC.

The company has established a separate business unit (Saltus) which focuses on environmental protection initiatives.

Environment is more than communities where we do business. It includes the active steps we take to be a responsible corporate citizen and to set an example of what that looks like. For example SF Group calculates its carbon overheads and aims to offset these via Terry Seeds.

Our Environment Principles

Be global citizens – contribute to the global village
Be local residents – set an example of global expectations and standards
Create opportunities to contribute to causes
Be carbon neutral
Leave a positive and meaningful  legacy

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