At Simeka we have come to view Corporate Social Investment (CSI) as not only an expression of our values at a business level (to our shareholders and the communities within which we work), but also at an individual level for our staff.

Our organisational attitude toward CSI is what contributes to a business model that helps us to achieve our triple bottom line and simultaneously develop and enhance the experience of staff within the organisation. We have been able to create a strong and meaningful link between what we are doing, why we are doing it and what our business is all about.

Thus we are working with a school in the geographical area of some of our branches were we can develop a long-term relationship over the years to come in so doing not just meeting the needs of today but creating opportunities for tomorrow. Our approach has been to work hand in hand with the principal and staff of the schools we have targeted to identify projects that will address immediate needs in a manner that will result in sustainable solutions for the school.

One of the areas of focus of our CSI efforts is the development of life skills.

We believe that the members of our staff can play a valuable role in developing the life skills that grade 11 and 12 students require to be successful and to grab the opportunities that come their way. To this end a selection of the top grade 11 students attend a three day workshop on Steven Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens". This material constitutes a sound basis for the development of character and identifying and learning the habits that many well known and successful people such as Mr Nelson Mandela have in common. During the rest of their grade 11 and matric years, members of our staff act as mentors and remain in contact to assist students to internalise the principles and to apply them in their own lives.

We have begun an earnest conversation about Corporate Social Investment at Simeka and our experience thus far is that CSI is not simply about giving, but also about growing and receiving. We understand and believe that as we intertwine the expression of our values outside and inside of our organisation, we will be creating a Simeka Consultants & Actuaries that our staff, our clients, our shareholders and communities will be proud to be associated with.