HOME

investing in change ...

focused on
sustainability

Sustainability strategy

Since its inception 11 years ago, GPI has consistently been driven by two passions: to become a profitable and successful enterprise in the gaming and leisure industry, while at the same time uplifting and rewarding its thousands of shareholders. GPI owes its existence to the outcome of a meaningful commitment to empowerment and sustainability. It is now a substantially empowered, black-controlled listed company but it grew from small beginnings. That is why its commitment to triple bottom line reporting is so strong and its economic, social and environmental impact so positive. Indeed, sustainability is central to its vision, mission and business purpose. A key part of this strategy is the channelling of resources into entities where GPI is able to exercise significant influence.

The concept of sustainability is central to the investment strategy, a key part of which is the channelling of resources into entities where GPI is able to exercise significant influence to ensure that the underlying investments focus on excellence with respect to the triple bottom line.

GPI is able to encourage its underlying investments to grow in a sustainable manner, mindful of the interests of all its stakeholders as it firmly believes that, over the long term, shareholder value will be optimised through this focus on sustainability.

GPI’s most significant investment, SunWest, has built up an enviable track record in terms of its focus on sustainability, as has Thuo Gaming WC. GrandWest’s CSI has become increasingly prominent in the social investment landscape of Cape Town and boasts numerous CSI projects and achievements in its portfolio. Both GrandWest and Thuo Gaming allocate a portion of their profits for reinvesting as part of their commitment to uplifting the communities they serve.

As GPI develops as an operating company in its own right, it too will contribute to community development and ensure that all its activities are undertaken in a sustainable manner.

SunWest’s sustainability strategy

The key drivers:

  • to be the most admired leisure organisation in the Western Cape;
  • being transparent in its reporting on progress on social issues;
  • encouraging its supply chain to share its values;
  • to benefit the communities it serves; and
  • the discouragement of irresponsible gambling.

SunWest has at all times been mindful of its responsibility to all its stakeholders and in this regard the interests of the community it serves are paramount, with a keen focus on delivering the highest level of corporate accountability and business ethics from directors, executive management and its entire staff. A social equity committee specifically focuses on the needs and relief required in disadvantaged communities in the Western Cape, producing a quarterly report which is provided to the Western Cape Gambling Board to monitor its compliance with its original bid undertakings.

GrandWest operates in a regulated environment with compliance, mutual trust and constructive engagement with provincial government and its Gambling Board critical to their ongoing sustainability as an organisation. This receives the highest priority and focus of GrandWest’s management team.

The strict compliance with the conditions of SunWest’s casino licence and the commitments given in SunWest’s bid, which secured this licence, receive the highest priority.

Western Cape Manco is responsible for SunWest’s empowerment policy and programme, which covers all aspects of empowerment including community empowerment, shareholder empowerment, procurement empowerment and, importantly, employee empowerment. GPI has 50% of Western Manco, with the balance being held by National Manco in which GPI has a direct stake of approximately 5.7%. National Manco was established for the purpose of applying for casino licences in the Western Cape, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape and to ensure that those bids that were unsuccessful recuperated their costs through the revenues generated by the successful bids.

GPI can lay claim to much of the credit for SunWest’s achievements with respect to the overall outcome of SunWest’s focus on sustainability through its representation on the SunWest Board and the role of Western Cape Manco, which is jointly controlled by GPI and Sun International. SunWest has made excellent progress as a result of the efforts of this management company while GPI has been intimately involved with this aspect of the operation.

Thuo Gaming WC’s sustainability strategy

Thuo Gaming WC has committed to invest at least 5% of its pre-tax profits in its CSI strategy.