As a truly South African company, we at Sanlam believe in nation-building and the development of a strong economy. It is our responsibility to help improve the lives of the people from this country - a duty we embrace, as our corporate social investment brings a double return.

Investing time, skills and money in improving the quality of life for all South Africans is the right thing to do. Secondly, it means relief of poverty through an investment in the very community we form part of, an investment in South Africa's next generation of economically active people - our future client base.

Giving our people the means to improve their lives has a direct impact on the entire economy. Through opportunity, skilling and support, the people we invest in may become active participants in a blossoming economy. It helps them create wealth, build self-esteem, proudly find their place in society - gifts they may pass on to their children, breaking the chain of poverty.

Being socially responsible requires more than the mere handing over of a charity cheque. It means getting involved - really, deeply involved at the lowest level. This is why we treat our involvement as programmes, not charities - as investments in time, skills and money of which we can monitor the success.