• 
• Overview

  • This report

    Our integrated reporting journey How to get the most out of our integrated report Feedback

    Snapshot

    Snapshot of performance

    About us

    What we do Where we operate Where our industry is heading The people who keep us in business What we live for How we're managed Who governs us Who leads us
• Reviews

  • Performance reviews

    Chairman's statement Interview with the CEO Interview with the CFO

    Strategic reviews

    Grow passionate promoters by dramatically improving the customer experience Actively create an environment for our people to excel and grow Put the power of the internet in people's hands Together drive operational excellence Proactively partner with our stakeholders
• Governance
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The people who keep us in business

The people who keep us in business

Building trust, respect and credibility among our stakeholders is vital to our sustainability. King III goes even further, emphasising the importance of including the views of stakeholders in how a business is managed.

We’re working hard at improving our engagement with all our stakeholders, including customers, employees, business partners, suppliers, investors, policymakers, the media, non-governmental organisations (‘NGOs’) and the public. We need to deepen our dialogue with them and speak openly on important industry issues. Taking this a step further, we’ve taken their views into account in formulating our five strategic priorities. We’ve also made it a specific strategic priority to proactively partner with them.

New initiatives in 2011

Stakeholder What matters most to them Ways we engage Customers       •   Better value offerings • Faster data networks and wider coverage • Making it simpler and quicker to deal with us • Converged solutions for business customers Call centres and outlets. Extensive focus groups and customer interviews. Active Twitter and Facebook customer engagement New online portal with greater customer self-service capability Monthly Net Promoter Score interviews done in most markets Employees       •   Clear career paths • More knowledge sharing across the Group • Building the coaching capability of leaders • Better understanding of reward structures Weekly emails, intranet, top management/CEO roadshows, webcasts and dedicated employee call centres. Yammer, an internal conversation platform, launched People Survey conducted across the Group New Vodacom Buzz magazine Business partners   •   Fair treatment across the board • Top management involvement with customers • A consistent customer experience • Making it simpler and quicker to deal with us Dedicated call centres, trade bulletins, allocated business managers, annual business partner conference. Top management one-on-one meetings with key distribution partners Suppliers     •   Timely payment and favourable terms • Improving health and safety standards • Partnering on environmental solutions • Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (‘BBBEE’) compliance Supplier forums, industry conferences and exhibitions, tender processes and anonymous fraud hotline. 12 key suppliers now transact with Vodafone Procurement Company Monthly and quarterly supplier forums Government and regulators     •   Licensing and compliance • Quality of service and network performance • Wider access to broadband communications • Meaningful partnerships in health and education • Investment in disadvantaged communities Routine engagements by dedicated government relations and regulatory department, formal responses on policy and regulations. Consultation forums Share international best practice through Vodafone relationship Investors     •   Manage impacts of growing data business • Scope for higher dividends • Risks and opportunities of expanding in Africa • Transparent executive remuneration Results presentations, webcasts, conference calls, dedicated website portal, local and international roadshows. Investor day to engage with key executives Independent non-executive Chairman investor roadshow on sustainability, governance and executive compensation Communities     •   Access to mobile communities • Access to basic services such as finance, health and education • Investment in infrastructure • Responsible expansion of infrastructure Vodacom regional teams, Vodacom Foundations, via local governments and associations. Vodacom Change the World, a CSI project with customer volunteers Vodacom Red Alert, SMS based fund raiser

The benefit of more meaningful engagement with the people that keep us in business is clear. By integrating what they think into our decision-making, we’re able to be more responsive to their concerns and open to the opportunities they point out. Stakeholder engagement is an important agenda item for our Board and Executive Committee. While this critical function is managed by Group Corporate Affairs, the relevant units in our operating companies interact directly with their stakeholders. We communicate with stakeholders on an ongoing basis and in the most appropriate ways given our diverse stakeholder relationships.

For details on the mechanisms available to stakeholders should any disputes arise visit the sustainability section on vodacom.com.

In 2011 we contracted Globescan and Ipsos Markinor to conduct a comprehensive Reputation Survey. It was very broad and detailed, covering all the countries in which we operate. Approximately 2 600 questionnaires were submitted, including 1 800 members of the general public (some of whom are our customers), and 500 Vodacom employees. Key business accounts and partners, suppliers, franchisees, distributors, regulators, NGOs, financial analysts and investors were also part of the sample. The study helped us to understand our stakeholders’ concerns and deal with them more effectively. It showed us where we need to focus our attention in the year ahead. It also indicated what our stakeholders consider our reputational value drivers to be. Our performance against each driver is shown below.

Stakeholder perceptions of our performance against key reputation value drivers

For the list of the questions posed in our Reputation Survey see the sustainability section on vodacom.com