“Implats has invested over R3,5 billion since 2007 on improving the housing and living conditions of our employees

Our revised strategy includes the following outcomes-based strategic goals:

• Achieve collaborative relationship with government to accelerate housing delivery: We will work actively with government with the aim of sourcing government grants, as well as either jointly developing state land that fits within our housing strategy or sourcing state land for such development.
• Develop low cost housing rental stock: We will establish a joint working relationship with provincial governments, local municipalities, the Royal Bafokeng Nation and individual land owners to facilitate the development of community residential units or private rental stock for the low-end market; the target market is employees who work for contractors, employees of foreign origin and employees from labour sending areas. We are currently exploring opportunities relating to the provision of innovative low-cost, flexible accommodation, principally aimed at the rental market, with the potential to make a significant positive impact on conditions in Freedom Park informal settlement.
• Promote and facilitate home ownership: We will investigate further opportunities for facilitating home ownership, depending on employees’ appetite for owning homes.
• Promote other forms of tenure: Recognising that there are some employees and contractors who do not wish to own homes in our neighbouring communities, we will be considering opportunities relating to rental stock provided by reputable third parties.
• Financial well-being and indebtedness: Introduction of debt consolidation is proposed as a catalyst to home ownership for credit defaulters who have shown keen interest in our programme. During the debt rehabilitation programme employees should be accommodated in another form of secure tenure within the home ownership programme.
• Address infrastructure deficiencies collaboratively with government: On our SLPs we have provided for the development and/or improvement of basic services and social amenities within surrounding mine communities, in support of projects identified by communities and local municipalities on integrated development plans (IDP).
• Improve the housing conditions in communal land: We are investigating opportunities for providing housing financial assistance for local employees who live on communal land where traditional financing is constrained due to the lack of title deeds.
• Secure additional land and funding options: While we secured enough land for housing purposes, there is a need for additional land to ensure the provision of bulk services. We are exploring innovative opportunities for securing access to this land, as well as new forms of financing housing and living conditions projects in partnership with third parties.

In the new SLP compiled for the five-year period 2014 to 2018, we have committed R1 billion to improving housing and living conditions over this period.

Our 2015 performance and achievements on accommodation and living conditions

We are proud to have been recognised by government and other stakeholders for our progressive stance and leading example in implementing programmes aimed at improving the housing and living conditions of mineworkers.

Since the inception of our previous housing strategy in 2008, we have invested R3.5 billion on improving housing and living conditions in South Africa. Key results of this investment over the past seven years include:

• Providing 2 687 units in Rustenburg, Impala Springs and Burgersfort for home ownership
• Converting hostels into 5 375 single units, and 264 hostel rooms into family units
• Upgrading 1 058 existing housing units and increasing our existing portfolio by 800 units, and
• Securing substantial portions of land at Burgersfort and Rustenburg for future development.

We are building on this leadership position in seeking to deliver on our ambitious objectives for 2020. This year, at our South African operations: We invested R228 million on employee housing (2014: R261 million).