ESG values are templates for sustainable firms

The beauty of the approach can be seen in the way key business touchpoints dovetail with ESG principles.

By way of illustration, the MultiChoice commitment to hyperlocal storytelling has meant a need to create homegrown, locally relevant content.

This in turn has led MultiChoice to create regional MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) academies in Nairobi, Lagos and Lusaka, training aspiring filmmakers.

Not only has this created a rich pipeline of authentic talent, but it has also built a vast library of local content. This fuels the ongoing success of MultiChoice as an entertainment platform, where Africa’s people can see African creators telling African stories.

In ESG parlance, this supports the social-development pillar. To date, 467 filmmakers have been trained by the MTF. These young people have gone on to work on hit African shows on regional channels across the continent.

In East Africa, graduates secured story development grants, gained acclaim at international film festivals and showcased their commitment to environmental consciousness by presenting at the Youth and Climate Action meeting.

In West Africa, Azeezah Sama, produced by a student from the class of 2023, was selected for prestigious film festivals such as the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival. Africa Magic commissioned productions from three MTF alumni companies, generating employment opportunities and amplifying the programme’s impact in the region.

Meanwhile, in Southern Africa, MTF alumni feature films have premiered on Zambezi Magic, and interns have contributed to more than 30 professional productions, including hit shows like Idols, Adulting, My Brother’s Keeper, Champions, and Gen Zee.

Besides skills development, MultiChoice makes direct investments in job creation and economic empowerment for emerging economic sectors. The MultiChoice Enterprise Development Trust oversees two key initiatives aimed at fostering the growth of startups and small enterprises: the Innovation Fund and the Africa Accelerator programme.

To date, the MultiChoice Innovation Fund has supported 77 black-owned small businesses with at least 50 percent female-black ownership and disbursed R407 million (about Shs81.7 billion) in loans, grants and business development expenses. This has created 1,400 job opportunities.

Last year, the MultiChoice Accelerator programme helped 11 entrepreneurs from South Africa to secure more than $17 million (Shs 62.4 billion) in investments from investors in the United Arab Emirates.

Also last year, the Enterprise Development Fund funded four new tech-related companies, including two owned by black women, to the tune of R26.74 million ( about Shs5.4 billion), creating 395 jobs.

Deeply conscious of how our operations impact the environment, MultiChoice takes direct steps to limit our emissions and energy efficiency.

We have taken proactive steps to enhance energy efficiency in our electricity consumption, air-conditioning systems, data centres, heating and ventilation.

We have managed to make these sustainability improvements in ways that continue to generate income for the group. The R10.7 billion (about Shs2.2 trillion) we pay in taxes in 2024 underlines our integration into the continent’s economy.

Ultimately, the proof of our ESG impact will be in our ability to continue operating sustainably, into the future, in a way that enriches lives for all the people we touch and have touched for the past three decades.

Ms Badugela is the Chief Executive of MultiChoice Africa Holdings.