Creating shared value through sustainable business development
We understand that the long-term sustainability of our business is dependent on our social licence to operate, which is inextricably linked to our ability to create shared value for our stakeholders.
With this in mind, following the discovery of the Lesotho Legend – a 910-carat Type IIa, D-color diamond and the fifth largest gem-quality diamond ever recovered – the Board determined that a portion of the proceeds from the sale should be set aside for investment into a project that would directly benefit our host community.
To ensure that any investment made would meet our criteria of addressing the present needs of our communities while also enabling sustainable value creation beyond the life of the mine, community members were engaged to determine the best way forward.
Following the consultation process, and in line with the agricultural focus of our other social initiatives, it was determined that the project would involve the construction and development of a commercial egg farming co-operative. Investigations are currently underway to determine the optimum operating model for the co-operative to maximise the value derived for the community.
As a result of regional growth, as well as an influx of employees working on the next phase of development of the Lesotho Highlands Water Scheme, the demand for locally produced eggs is expected to grow. Given this, we believe that this project will continue to produce viable socio-economic growth well into the future, meeting community needs and contributing meaningfully to local economic development.