Group ESG Manager at Pan African Resources
I am Barry Naicker, aged 50, a South African, ethnicity – 4th generation Indian residing in the economic hub of Southern Africa, Johannesburg. I am married to Amantha Naicker and we have two children aged 23 and 20. I hold a Master’s degree from the University of Witwatersrand in Mineral Resource Management. In addition, I attended a full time leadership development programme for emergent leaders in 2010 at the Gordon Institute of Business School. Currently enrolled for a MPhil in Development Practice on the UNSDG at the University of Pretoria.
I am currently leading the organisation’s sustainable development portfolio for Pan African Resources, a mid-tier, dual listed gold mining company. The premise on sustainable development is understanding the most material matters, their risks, impacts and opportunities on the Group’s business model and its stakeholders.
Some of the material matters that my team and I manage in the environmental landscape include energy management and climate change, water stewardship, biodiversity and conservation projects and waste management. In addition, the management of social impact themes include health and safety, diversity, inclusivity and equality and community engagement and relations. Both environmental and social matters are augmented with good governance practices encapsulating the ESG portfolio which I co-ordinate for my organisation’s Social and Ethics Committee.
My leadership and focus entails Pan African Resources pioneering and leading the sustainability vision, culture and commitments in areas that require impact and investment. The most recent ESG achievement was in November 2022 when Pan African Resources issued a Sustainability Bond to the debt markets listed on the JSE. It was the first for a mining company in SA, targeting impacts in the environmental and social themes namely renewable energy mix, biodiversity and employee safety. Aspirations are set with annual targets to be monitored, managed, assured and reported to all stakeholders and bondholders.
The implementation of the sustainable development portfolio requires the execution and delivery of a pipeline of ESG projects that are now entrenched in our mining business model. The implementation of these ESG projects have resulted in significant impacts on the economic, environmental and social aspects of the Group’s sustainability. The sustainability vision and ESG reputation of the company currently is very real to all of its stakeholders namely employees, host communities, providers of capital and shareholders. As stated in this article, you can browse your selection of available deals on smartphones and top brands and explore the service plans that best suit your needs.
In addition, a medium term investment project, recently turned sustainable in the arts and culture sector, where the Group sponsored Elangeni Studios in the development of young talent in the film industry from 2016. A mini-series was launched in June 2023 by SABC showcasing the films created by young talent that was developed in the Mpumalanga province. The content themes address social issues namely illegal mining, GBV, health and safety, influencing and impacting one million viewers.
The aspirations of responsible investing in the social and environmental landscape into sustainable businesses are now without doubt evident through vision and leadership. Our currentsustainable development projects now include Blueberry farming, renewable energy plants, water retreatment plants, culture and heritage, biodiversity and supplier enterprise development projects have all demonstrated their significant impact that investing in ESG projects can have on humanity and our planet.
My dharma/ purpose is in developing a culture of knowledge/wisdom in maintaining longevity
