Izak Smith
Non-negotiable Commitment to supporting future graduate professionals

We are proud to be the PPS Foundation's primary sponsor. 2021 was the second year that organisations and the world had to face and deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. While it put much financial pressure on budgets, there were some things and practices we could not let go of as an organisation. Despite the turbulent times, PPS remained committed to protecting professionals' livelihoods. In our concerted efforts to do good and do the right thing within the communities in which we exist, the commitment to support future graduate professionals was non-negotiable. The reality is that challenging times can still bring out the best in people and organisations. Students still need to continue with their studies amid the difficult times; the silver lining is that the stories of success and triumph form part of our beneficiaries' journey, which we are all too glad to be part of.

In our financial results announced in April 2022, we shared that 2021 was an extraordinary year in terms of the opportunity to support our members. PPS was able to return enormous value to our members by meeting claims and making special benefit allocations to the members' Profit-Share Accounts because of our solid business strategy, good expense management, the benign investment markets and our long-term investment approach.

In being the PPS Foundation's primary sponsor, we were still able to provide 100% support which meant that the programmes and initiatives could continue. In 2022, the same support will again continue to ensure that greater impact and reach of improving teaching and learning experiences for more South African youth is achieved at a greater scale. But the more donations we get, the bigger the impact the PPS Foundation will make on our country's future generations.

The Graduate Internship Development Programme (GIDP) that we run every year at PPS has allowed us to experience the young talent that infuses new and vibrant energy into the organisation. PPS has been in existence for over 80 years and we remain passionate about investing in developing the next generation of professionals who will have a profound impact on this organisation and South Africa's future. This programme inducts graduate interns who acquire the skills that will help them develop personally and professionally. Over the years, we have retained quite a number of these interns who have grown in various departments and gone to do great things.

The GIDP supports South Africa's imperative of reducing youth unemployment by providing recently graduated youth with an opportunity to benefit from comprehensive training, gain valuable work experience and develop soft skills. All candidates are supervised by a formal mentor throughout the internship. Over the last few years, PPS has taken 140 young people through the programme, with an average retention rate of 80%.

Our commitment to youth development does not end with the GIDP. Staff members younger than 35 years and showing high potential are eligible to participate in one of our flagship development programmes, the Young Leadership Forum (YLF). Each year, a cohort of ten young leaders is selected to participate in the programme. The YLF is offered academic enrichment through UNISA's Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute. This is complemented by a bespoke programme supported by the PPS Academy. The purpose of the YLF is not only to develop young leaders but to also tap into their perspectives to solve real business problems.

The YLF engages with other leaders within the organisation to give insights on approaches that can be used to achieve strategic business goals. Since its inception three years ago, we have been exposed to some of the best potentials that PPS has to offer. I am every year so impressed by these talented young individuals. We often invite them to Group Executive meetings and it is a pleasure engaging with these youngsters.

It is important for PPS to contribute to the development of young professionals within the organisation, as well as the graduate professional pipeline in the country. We believe that we are an integral stakeholder that can partner with other organisations such as the government, social organisations and other corporates to ensure that South Africa achieves a better outcome for many young professionals.

Providing a platform, conducive environment and resources for young people to grow within our organisation means that we are contributing to the vision of developing the next wave of economically empowered professionals to help take the country forward. For the graduate pipeline in South Africa, we support efforts that lead to access to quality education. As part of our long-term commitment to supporting South Africa's youth, PPS has multiple initiatives that are designed to assist with learning, socio-economic development, skills development and the creation of employment opportunities.