How we Cultivate a diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation
With our purpose being to bring financial inclusion and serve the underserved, it is essential for Lesaka to have diversity amongst its people, equitable representation at all levels and an inclusive culture and environment.
This means that we must actively foster an environment where people from diverse backgrounds, Previously Disadvantaged, or Designated, Groups (Black people, women and people with disabilities) have equal access to opportunities and are thriving.
Our ability to innovate, serve our customer needs and grow as a business will either be hampered or accelerated by our success in driving and managing diversity, equity and inclusion in our company.
Lesaka’s leaders must understand and convey to their teams the reasons why diversity, equity and inclusion are critical to the growth and success of our business and our people. We need to understand and eliminate:
This means that we must actively foster an environment where people from diverse backgrounds, Previously Disadvantaged, or Designated, Groups (Black people, women and people with disabilities) have equal access to opportunities and are thriving.
Our ability to innovate, serve our customer needs and grow as a business will either be hampered or accelerated by our success in driving and managing diversity, equity and inclusion in our company.
Lesaka’s leaders must understand and convey to their teams the reasons why diversity, equity and inclusion are critical to the growth and success of our business and our people. We need to understand and eliminate:
- areas where we have underrepresentation of Designated Groups,
- barriers that are preventing us from having a diverse and an equitably representative workforce, especial at middle, senior and top management
- practices and behaviours that create division and fear, preventing us from having an inclusive and dynamic environment where everyone feels they belong.
Our Goals
- To create an inclusive, dynamic and engaging culture that makes everyone in our organisation feel that their identity, culture, language, religion and social background is respected, appreciated and understood.
- In the light of South Africa’s specific imperatives, we have to actively ensure that our middle, senior and top management roles are accessible to Designated Groups
- Develop an employment equity, talent management and succession plan that will ensure that we enlarge the pool of talent, harness leadership styles from a diverse backgrounds and forge new ways of tackling the complex problems facing us.
Where we are today
Below is an indication of how our Designated Groups, as defined in the EE Act, compare to the Department of Labour Sector Employment Equity Targets, our Peers in the financial services sector and the economically active population (EAP).
The overall diversity we have at Lesaka currently exceeds the employment equity targets put forward by the department of Labour. This demonstrates the significant progress made to improve equity and signifies the commitment that already exist in our business to ensuring equal access for all. However, although ahead of the DOL sector targets, we are lagging behind our peers in the representation of women. Improving this will remain a key focus. We remain committed to having a diverse and equitable workforce that is reflective of our population and the customers and communities we serve.
Turning to people with disabilities, we have a way to go to catch up with other South African employers as well as get close to achieve the DOL sector targets. It will require a specific focus to ensure a safe and inclusive environment where people with disabilities have equal access to opportunities and feel a sense of belonging.
Turning to people with disabilities, we have a way to go to catch up with other South African employers as well as get close to achieve the DOL sector targets. It will require a specific focus to ensure a safe and inclusive environment where people with disabilities have equal access to opportunities and feel a sense of belonging.
Creating an inclusive environment is one that requires strong leadership but one we can only achieve collectively. We have developed a diversity, equity and inclusion plan which will be our roadmap to achieving our DEI goals.
Our Principles
We have set out principles which we will help guide us towards our goals. Lincoln, our leaders and I will be responsible for implementing and driving these principles and making sure they filter down across the teams that are hiring and developing our people as we grow our business.
Our Principles
We have set out principles which we will help guide us towards our goals. Lincoln, our leaders and I will be responsible for implementing and driving these principles and making sure they filter down across the teams that are hiring and developing our people as we grow our business.
| # | Principle |
| 1 | We will achieve diversity and equitable representation of designated groups in an inclusive way that does not exclude anyone from accessing opportunities and having a sense of belonging. |
| 2 | The targeting and consideration of a diverse pool of candidates is critical to improve our chances of successfully hiring people from underrepresented groups. |
| 3 | We will be intentional about sourcing and considering Black people, Females and candidates with disabilities, directing our recruitment teams and agencies as well as leveraging our colleagues with networks that have access to people from designated groups. |
| 4 | A differentiated approach to talent attraction and development will be adopted to give access to equal opportunities to people from designated groups to achieve equitable representation in our business. To this end, when assessing suitability for a role, relevant skills, experience as well as potential will be considered. |
| 5 | We pay market-related salaries. However, we recognise the war for talent for designated groups, and where appropriate, we will pay a premium to attract talent. |
| 6 | Performance and diversity are mutually reinforcing. Performance will be managed in a consistent manner for all employees, whilst support will be differentiated to suit the needs of each individual. |
| 7 | Talent development investment and programmes must be targeted to enable and prioritise the inclusion of Black people, Women and People with disabilities at managerial and executive level. |
| 8 | Leaders need to identify internal talent and invest to develop and enable our staff from designated groups to gain access to opportunities in at middle, senior and top management. Talent development and investment will not only be for Black People, Women and people with disabilities, but for everyone in the company. |
| 9 | Clear accountability measures for driving diversity, equity and inclusion must be in place for all leaders to achieve our goals. |
| 10 | Engaging and consulting our employees is critical to benefit from the collective wisdom and to having a holistic plan that has the support and commitment of everyone in the business. |
In the coming weeks your leadership and Human Capital teams will be sharing with you the DEI plans for your respective businesses. We welcome and look forward to your feedback and input into the plans, as well as your commitment and support as we cultivate a dynamic and inclusive business where we can all fulfil our potential and help our customers fulfil theirs.
