Barloworld Limited: Leading Brands

Responsible value chain

To sustain long-term value creation for all stakeholders as envisaged by our Values and sustainability principles, it is important to align ourselves with a robust supply chain, responsible leading principals and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

Mutual respect, trust, support and benefit, guided by our governance and ethical frameworks, underpin our relationships throughout our supply-chain. The group has developed a set of conduct criteria and standards for suppliers which form part of a supplier due diligence initiative. Where non-conforming suppliers are identified, appropriate action is taken according to the circumstances.

Integral to our value chain is our responsible citizenship programme and identifying competitive advantages through solutions that help customers achieve their sustainability objectives, facilitate a transition to lower carbon economies and expand into related opportunities.

A key socio-economic driver, within the South African context, is integrating previously disadvantaged groups into the economy. We support and empower a range of small and medium-sized suppliers, contractors and enterprises in our supply chain, through our South African-oriented enterprise development initiatives and preferential procurement programme. We are committed to the localisation and empowerment of our supply chain where practicable, and have completed a number of supplier development interventions in South Africa over the year. In this regard suppliers have been engaged and introduced to our mandate and procurement thrust towards transformation and black economic empowerment.

Barloworld is an industrial processing, distribution and services company with two primary areas of focus: Industrial Equipment and Services and Consumer Industries (food and ingredient solutions), with our remaining interests in the rapidly changing Automotive world focused on Car Rental and Leasing activities. Our Industrial Equipment and Services segments offers earthmoving equipment, industrial services and power systems, which enable the operation and maintenance of a large array of mining, construction and power solutions for our customers, with whom we have built enduring relationships based on mutual trust. Our Consumer Industries segment provides large enterprises with the ingredients essential to the manufacturing of a range of products including food and beverages, paper, pharmaceuticals, building materials and adhesives, among others. Our Car Rental and Leasing segment remain our only Automotive Businesses. The group strives to engage responsible suppliers and have a supply chain that reflects best practice in the manufacture, sale, service, support and disposal of products. These standards are complemented by Barloworld’s own values² and standards. We are committed to working with suppliers to ensure our customers’ objectives are met and their competitive position enhanced. A number of our principals have been included on various environmental and/or sustainability related indices, further supporting their reputation as responsible leading companies.

Mindful of our responsibilities in our value chain and a number of initiatives have been implemented to assess and limit any potential risks emanating through our supply chain. We have assessed our principals that account for the majority (some 68%) of our procurement spend, for environmental, labour, human rights, bribery and corruption, and corporate citizenship risks. All principals have been assessed as low risk.

Third party service providers and suppliers (TPSP&S) in all business divisions have been subjected to a risk assessment and due-diligence process in relation to bribery and corruption. This due diligence process involves the integration a more rigorous screening of TPSP&S into the existing procurement processes and setting clearly defined minimum requirements as defined by our Supplier Code of Conduct. This process is now applied to new TPSP&S and is ongoing for existing TPSP&S, in accordance with the Barloworld due diligence policy

As part of this process, some 5 900 suppliers have signed the Barloworld Supplier Code of Conduct which includes, among other things, the following voluntary undertaking from suppliers:

“The supplier understands that it has responsibility for its own supply chain and for managing standards of conduct within its supply chain. It therefore agrees to encourage and promote high ethical standards and adherence to international best practices in human rights, health, safety and environmental standards when undertaking its contractual obligations towards Barloworld.”

Transformation (BBBEE)

Barloworld acknowledges transformation as an economic imperative. We recognise the role we can play to bring about meaningful change in the societies where we operate. All our South African divisions comply with the Department of Trade and Industry’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (DTI's B-BBEE) requirements. We are proud of the B-BBEE scores of our core business units and the level three we have achieved as Barloworld Limited.

Barloworld Siyakhula

Founded in 2007, Siyakhula is our primary vehicle for supplier and enterprise development for our South Africa operations. Through comprehensive support programmes aimed at empowering small, micro and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs), Siyakhula promotes B-BBEE, not only within Barloworld, but the broader South African society.

Since inception, Siyakhula has invested accumulative spend of over R370 million with assistance provided to more than 200 SMMEs, indirectly sustaining over 1 730 jobs. For more information: www.barloworldsiyakhula.com

Investing in communities

Barloworld strives to make a difference by enabling growth and progress, through strategic socio-economic development programmes. We view our social investment as an investment in the future, inspiring a world of difference by building resilient communities.

In the 2021 financial year, we invested R16 million in four focus areas:

• Education - Programmes that focus on access to quality basic education with an emphasis on improving science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects at high school level, as well as teacher development programmes
• Programmes that focus on youth leadership skills development, as well as social entrepreneurship programmes that resolve local community challenges
• Health - Initiatives that focus on access to basic health care services as well as improved life expectancy
• Environment - Programmes that increase awareness of climate change and conservation