Illiteracy. Poverty. HIV and AIDS. Unemployment. These are socio-economic issues which affect South Africans on the daily. The government's baby? No!! Contrary to popular belief, socio-economic issues can and should be tackled by everyone : individuals, organizations as well as enterprises both large and small.

At Behold SA we do not only advise and consult companies on their involvement in CSR but we put our money where our mouth is.

" My dream is to see all of my children attain a matric certificate, at least, because I had to drop out in Grade 4" : says Nikeziwe Mtshali, mother of 6 and grandmother of 2. Through the partnership between Africa! Ignite and Behold's Shake The World, Nikeziwe has been granted the opportunity to make a living through craft work, despite her previous lack of education. Today Nikeziwe is also an adult basic education student.

Unemployment in South Africa is rife. An issue which has become of concern is graduate unemployment.

" The Experience Factory is a great opportunity for me to get a great head start in life. With so much unemployment it is a really awesome initiative for students straight out of varsity like me. With this great platform which offers a range of opportunities, I know I will be ready for the big world." Says Lesego Modise, Experience Factory TOF.

In addition the Behold SA team comprises of 4 recent graduates from the University of Witwatersrand and 1 recent University of Johannesburg graduate. This work opportunity not only provides these recent graduates with work Experience but also shields this young group from the cruel reality of unemployment.

Through CSR Strategy development Behold advocates for the alignment of Company competencies with CSR as the core vision of successful CSR/CSI Strategy. Furthermore we emphasise on the importance of SROI. SROI is a way of understanding Social value/impact that goes beyond standard monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices . It expresses Social values in financial terms and is founded and draws strongly from accounting principles.

BEHOLD pioneers corporate initiatives that…

• Generate income through trade AND have a social or environmental purpose.
• Have social responsibility at their heart NOT as an add-on.
• Use innovation, creativity and problem-solving to achieve impact. It’s where resourcefulness and opportunity meet.
• Balance a passion for change with the precision to measure impact.
• Leverage the power of partnerships and co-creation.
• Re-invest back into the social good.