Convergence Partners has a strong corporate social responsibility agenda.

While the primary aim of Convergence Partners is to build a successful portfolio of assets and generate significant economic returns, the company also has a strong social agenda, including:

  • Arranging internships for young professionals, both within Convergence Partners itself and in its investee companies;
  • Investing in businesses that have a genuine commitment to their own transformation and actively assisting in this regard;
  • Nurturing and incubation of new, start-up businesses in the TMT sector; and
  • Consulting work on projects that will improve general access of Africans to communications, broadband services and new technology offerings that can improve lives.

The Convergence Partners Foundation was established to act as the co-ordinator of CSI spend by Convergence Partners as well as certain Convergence Partners investees. The Foundation is also a co-investor with Convergence Partners in a number of its transactions. The Foundation explores mission-critical social development work in the TMT sector, specifically in education – in particular, the development of new talent and skills in the technology sector (where Africa has a critical need) as well as in using technology to improve access to education of a high standard. The Foundation is presently involved in a number of projects in keeping with this mandate, including:

  • An e-learning initiative in terms of which grade 10 to 12 secondary school students will have access to in-classroom video-on-demand lectures on Saturdays. This project has been implemented in a number of schools across South Africa;
  • The upgrading of facilities at a Thokoza primary school;
  • Funding the provision of computers to a number of Eastern Cape schools via the Digital Refurbishment Institute of SA (DRISA) – an organization responsible for increasing the number of computers in schools and providing skills and valuable work experience to young graduates; and
  • Bursaries at various universities as well as time and money sponsorship of high school students through the Student Sponsorship Programme.

In addition, in respect of certain of its South African investments, Convergence Partners plays a leadership role in assembling and managing the broad-based BEE participants.