EXXARO Powering Possibility

EXXARO Powering Possibility

EXXARO CONTINUES TO INNOVATE AND EVOLVE AS A DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE AND WOMEN EMPOWERING CORPORATE CITIZEN – SOLIDIFYING THIS WITH THE UPCOMING APPOINTMENT OF ITS FIRST BLACK FEMALE CEO

Established in 2006, Exxaro Resources has evolved over the last 16 years and positioned itself as a leader in the mining and renewable energy solutions sector.

Guided by its business strategy – referred to as the Sustainable Growth and Impact strategy, the company has geared itself to transition and diversify beyond coal mining to renewable energy solutions and a mineral business capable of thriving in a low-carbon future. To positively respond to the climate change agenda, Exxaro is pursuing a reduction in our carbon footprint with the goal of being carbon neutral by 2050 for scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions.

To accomplish this, it is imperative for Exxaro that diverse members of society are involved in building a better future for the country and global markets. As such, the company applies an integrated approach that focuses on establishing multi-faceted, collaborative, inclusive, and diverse business strategies.

Due to its commitment in developing a company that is as innovative as it is equitable and humane, Exxaro has received great accolades such as the 2007, 2021 and 2022 Top Employer in South Africa, Mining Industry, in 2014 – Exxaro was awarded the Deloitte Best Company to Work for award and recognised in the Top 10 Global Leaders in Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index, and 2020 and 2021 Coal Safe Best Performance for a company with over 10 000 employees recognition within South Africa’s mining industry, to name a few.

When the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world, negatively impacting businesses, and vulnerable communities, Exxaro collaborated with South African communities and the public and private sectors to mitigate the pandemic effects through a R20- million donation to the Presidential Solidarity Fund.

Driven by its purpose to Power Better Lives in Africa and Beyond – Exxaro ensures that socio-economic resources are accessible to the most vulnerable and marginalised people in the communities where the company has mining operations. This means investing in initiatives such as education, health, infrastructure, food production, and

enterprise development. To effectively do so, there needs to be a focus on equitable projects aimed at the most historically disadvantaged. To this end, Exxaro is aware of the race and gender inequalities that dominate the South African socio-economic landscape, with black people and women statistically ranking highest in unemployment, pay inequality and underpromotion – especially in white and male-dominated fields. Therefore, Exxaro is dedicated to accelerating women empowerment in the mining industry.

Since gender inequality poses a grave concern within many industries, Exxaro’s aim is to continuously bridge the gap by empowering women through its women in mining initiatives. This has been exemplified by the company proudly sponsoring and participating in the 2021 Women in Mining Conference. The conference was inclusive of an anti-gender-based violence (GBV) workshop hosted on the third day of the conference.

The Women in Mining event took place from 17 to 19 February and ensured women in mining were equipped with knowledge and strategies about thriving in the industry. Furthermore, it offered a platform for women to discuss the multitude of discriminations, harassment, and inequalities they face in the maledominated industry. The conference ensured it centralised the safety of women in mining. This included Exxaro’s investment in the redesign of personal protective equipment (PPE) for the protection of women working underground.

The company additionally sponsored the Top Women Leaders Conference by Standard Bank. This conference honours public figures and women who are excelling in their respective fields and paving the way for transformation. Some of the women honoured were Dr Glenda Gray, South African physician, scientist and activist; Caster Semenya, South African Olympic gold medallist; and Hon. Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.

Exxaro aspires to do more than sponsor women empowerment conferences, it is committed to providing systematic support for women in mining as well. According to Mining Review Africa, women in local mining account for 12% of women of the labour force. Exxaro is making great strides to increase female participation in mining. It currently boasts 22% of women in the mining force. Keeping up with its social investments to provide education for the marginalised, 43% of the company’s young professionals in training are women. Women further comprise 33% of full-time engineering and mining bursaries at universities, and 35% of the learner pipeline across their group.

While there are great strides for gender equality in mining, female participation in the industry has not yielded positive behaviour and treatment towards female miners. Rather, they continue to face abuse, harassment, and intimidation by male colleagues daily. As a result, Exxaro has developed various in-house anti-GBV initiatives. A prime example is the Women in Mining Lekgotla hosted by the company’s Coal Central mine. Through this, the company’s employees are better educated about the importance of gender equality. As a result, Exxaro employees, male and female, have taken a stance against GBV. To further the combat of GBV systematically, Exxaro partnered with the Presidency and Minerals Council South Africa (MCSA) to pilot a GBV and Femicide (GBVF) 100 Day Challenge. The company contributed R3.5-million to the Presidential GBVF fund in 2021.

With the understanding that gender discrimination is a global issue that threatens human life and sustainable development, Exxaro further cemented itself in the area of gender equality by partnering with United Nations Women (UNWomen) to end all forms of workplace gender discrimination in the workplace. The company signed up for the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) in 2020. Launched in 2010, the WEPs are principles created to guide companies and businesses in women empowerment across workplace departments and communities. Exxaro joins 2 200 businesses that have endorsed the principles globally, and 67 corporates that have signed within South Africa.

For its commitment to gender empowerment and equality, Exxaro was included in the Bloomberg 2021 and 2022 Gender – Equality Index (GEI). The Bloomberg GEI tracks performance of public companies that are committed to transparency pertaining to gender equality support through policy development, representation, an transparency.

This GEI provides insight into best practice for employee engagement, productivity and future market value while pioneering positive change in the communities in which they operate. Exxaro is one of 380 companies worldwide that have achieved this recognition. Under this GEI, the company commits to celebrating women in mining, being anti-GBV and applying a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of discrimination.

While global recognition for Exxaro has been astounding thus far, the company still strives towards even greater women empowerment. There is a current advancement towards fair acknowledgment and reward systems for women for their contributions and accomplishments in the same way it does men.

As of 1 August 2022, Dr Nombasa Tsengwa will take over as Exxaro’s CEO. The incoming CEO becomes Exxaro’s first black woman CEO. She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, in the United States of America with a Ph.D. in Agronomy. Dr Nombasa Tsengwa boasts 18 years of experience of executive management and board experience within the public and private sectors. As the current Executive Head of Coal Operations at Exxaro, her role is to oversee the operations and functions of the Coal Business and its ventures. Not only has Dr Nombasa Tsengwa worked for Exxaro for 14 years, but she has assisted the current CEO, Mxolisi Mgojo, in the formulation and successful execution of Exxaro’s business strategy over the years. It is for these outstanding accomplishments that the company believes she is best suited for the position of CEO – thereby ushering in a new era of women empowerment at top positions in mining.

Even though Exxaro is proving to be a leader in women empowerment and gender equality initiatives, there are still great hurdles to be overcome. The appointment of Dr Nombasa Tsengwa as CEO does not equate to complete equal representation of women at senior management level at Exxaro, and the mining industry overall. Representation of those with disabilities is another area of focus. Acknowledging the long road to equality ahead is the best course of action for the company. In doing so, there will be concerted effort to address inequality in representation of women and persons living with disabilities at Exxaro. As Dr Nombasa Tsengwa transitions into her role, women empowerment, equitable employment, and fair access to opportunities will continue to be among the key focus areas for Exxaro.

The company will continue to pioneer innovation and change by acknowledging national statistics of the underprivileged and marginalised to ensure they are empowered and become active participants in the mining sector – thus contributing to a better life for communities, a stable and growing economy, and enriched South African society.

ADDRESS: 13 Roger Dyason Road, Pretoria West TEL: 012 307 4000 EMAIL: tsabeng.nthite@exxaro.com Website: www.exxaro.com