Entrepreneurship and Job Creation

Corporate Responsibility

“Charity begins at home” is a well-known, often versed proverb. This adage was embraced during the construction of TIH’s Head Office, Auto & General Park, when around 3000 Diepsloot residents were employed by the developers. This employment was estimated to have benefitted over 20 000 members of the Diepsloot community.

When TIH moved into Auto & General Park, it was decided that most of TIH’s Corporate Social Investment (CSI) donations, excluding those from the 1st for Women Foundation, would be combined to focus on the Diepsloot community. 

TIH’s CSI strategy aims to to enhance the livelihoods of individuals in Diepsloot through skills development and job placement to reduce poverty.  We have already made generous donations to the following Diepsloot-based organisations:

Enterprise and Supplier Development

Unemployment is one of the biggest challenges we face in our country. At TIH, we’re committed to addressing this issue in many ways.                                                                             

Beyond the 11,000 jobs we provide across TIH, the Saxon, and Steyn City, we have our Enterprise Development programme, Sisekelo. Sisekelo can be loosely translated from Zulu as ‘foundation or pillar of support’ and the name couldn’t be more apt.

Sisekelo aims to stimulate the growth of SMEs, to positively impact South Africa’s unemployment rate and economic development. On the microeconomic side, it is an opportunity for TIH to expand its distribution footprint and ultimately, contribute towards the advancement of entrepreneurship.

Sisekelo currently runs the following programmes:

  • Broker Development
  • SME Development
  • Tow Truck Initiative
  • Motor Body Repairer Development

Success Stories 

One of our standout success stories is Moipone Twala, a highly successful tow truck operator.

TIH also introduced a shuttle service to help our people get to and from work, run by Mali, one of our team members. We helped him set up his business, and today he runs it independently while providing excellent service to our people.

YES PROGRAMME

In 2018, when President Ramaphosa challenged corporate South Africa to help curb rising youth unemployment, TIH was among the first to join forces with YES and pioneer this transformative programme.

Since then, we’ve created over 1,100 job opportunities for young, determined South Africans, both nationally and in rural areas. This is a significant achievement not just for our business, but for our country as a whole.

Our YES candidates, recruited through Harambee, have gained specialist skills and experience across various sectors, including:

  • Non-Life Insurance, Life Insurance (including brokers),
  • IT, Human Resources,
  • Marketing,
  • Hospitality,
  • Administration,
  • Health and Safety,
  • Digital, Data Science,
  • Motor Body Repair
  • Tow Truck Business

Many of our YES candidates have been promoted, with some even stepping into managerial roles. They describe this opportunity as “life-changing,” and we couldn’t be prouder of their success.

FOOD SECURITY PROGRAMME

Our Food Security Programme (FSP) in Diepsloot addresses food and nutrient security through innovative community-based micro agribusinesses. This model not only enhances food security but also promotes microeconomic development, ensuring a more effective and sustainable long-term solution.

At the core of this model are the GrowZones – specifically developed plots of land designed to sustain the cultivation of a continuous supply of nutritious vegetables.

Each GrowZone is strategically paired with an Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre or primary school, providing fresh vegetables for their food programmes.

The primary objectives of our FSP include:

  • Job creation by empowering urban farmers. By managing their GrowZones as micro agribusinesses, these farmers gain valuable skills and contribute to the local economy.
  • Training and skills development in crop production, container planting, and micro business skills.
  • Production of seedling nurseries as a viable and sustainable method to drive and sustain food security efforts.
  • Currently, TIH supports 26 GrowZones and 41 ECDs.

The Diepsloot Foundation (TDF) programmes

The Diepsloot Foundation offers the following programmes:

The Diepsloot Foundation (TDF) has been making a difference since 2004, growing into a multi-disciplinary community development and services centre. TDF exists to uplift and empower the people of Diepsloot, with a strong focus on education, training, and skills development.

The Diepsloot Foundation offers the following programmes:

  • Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET)
  • Digital Literacy (basic computer literacy)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Carpentry
  • Sewing
  • Early Childhood Development (ECD)
  • Healthcare
  • Social Relief (food and clothing donations)
  • Food Security Programme (food gardens and nursery)                                                                                                      

TIH plays a crucial role in maintaining employment opportunities and ensuring TDF’s ongoing training and development programmes.