INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE
South African sugar industry
The South African sugar industry is one of the world's leading cost competitive producers of high quality sugar and makes an important contribution to employment and to the national economy. The South African Sugar Association provides administrative support to the sugar industry's stakeholders and operates as an autonomous organisation. It is committed to making a meaningful and sustained contribution to social and economic wellbeing for people within the sugar cane growing communities. SASA's development vision is: "to remain a valuable contributor to the economy in which it operates, and to be a relevant and valued component of society by contributing to a vibrant, healthy and skilled civil society where all have equitable opportunities to participate". It is this vision that drives the Association to provide effective and efficient services that will ultimately increase prosperity and opportunities for all. It takes a proactive approach to sustainable development, focusing on providing integrated developmental programmes such as:
These developmental interventions are considered as strategic areas where the Association can leverage its expertise to make meaningful changes within the sugar cane growing communities. The South African Sugar Association understands that government regards social investment programmes as one tool to progressing the transformation agenda. The Association is therefore dedicated to ensuring that its development strategies are aligned to the priorities of government and rural communities. The core development strategies of the industry include:
- Improving the quality of life of all people within the sugar cane growing communities
- Aligning industry's education and training efforts with government initiatives and programmes
- Assisting government achieve its land reform target by 2014
- Aligning the industry's social investment programme with some of the elements of the Codes of Good Practice
- Broadening the base for economic growth and sustainable livelihoods of the small scale growers
- Leveraging private and public sector investment into the agricultural sector
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