{"id":608566,"date":"2025-09-15T14:45:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T12:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=608566"},"modified":"2025-09-15T15:01:35","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T13:01:35","slug":"telkoms-sustainability-vision-innovating-for-inclusive-growth-and-a-future-ready-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/industrynews\/608566-telkoms-sustainability-vision-innovating-for-inclusive-growth-and-a-future-ready-south-africa.html","title":{"rendered":"Telkom\u2019s sustainability vision &#8211; Innovating for inclusive growth and a future-ready South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>By Mpho McNamee, Chief of Corporate Affairs<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sustainability is no longer simply a corporate mandate &#8211; it is an essential lens through which businesses must operate to thrive in the 21st century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Telkom, embracing sustainability means embedding environmental responsibility, social empowerment, and sound governance into the heart of our business model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/group.telkom.co.za\/sustainability\/Sustainability.html?utm_source=MyBroadband&amp;utm_medium=SponsoredArticle&amp;utm_term=August2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Click here to learn more about Telkom\u2019s approach to sustainability.<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This is vital not only for our company but for the future prosperity of South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Facing real challenges with purpose and innovation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Globally, the telecommunications sector is navigating complex sustainability challenges such as rising energy demand, urgent climate imperatives, and social inequalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Telkom, we recognise that meeting these challenges requires pragmatic ambition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2040 is a crucial step forward, but the journey is continuous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Technology transitions, such as phasing out legacy equipment and investing in lithium-ion battery systems, are helping us reduce our emissions meaningfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since FY2022, we have achieved a 32% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions, outpacing many international targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, fossil fuel consumption has dropped by 37%, while renewable energy use increases steadily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet, these gains remind us of the continuous work needed, especially as networks grow to meet rising data demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why does this matter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Because sustainability and business success are increasingly inseparable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reducing environmental impact not only future-proofs operations amid regulatory and climate risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It also supports our commitment to responsible innovation &#8211; a priority across the global telecom industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Driving South Africa\u2019s digital inclusion and economic opportunity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Technology\u2019s greatest promise lies in its power to transform lives and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For this reason, Telkom invests deeply in empowering young, black ICT entrepreneurs through our FutureMakers programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In FY2025 alone, 459 small businesses accessed procurement opportunities worth R859 million, generating close to 74,000 jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a testament to the tangible impact of inclusive enterprise development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This initiative supports South Africa\u2019s broader goal to bridge the digital divide, foster entrepreneurship, and build a more equitable economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By nurturing black-owned small businesses, we contribute to an ecosystem where innovation and opportunity flourish together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Building knowledge and capacity for the future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Human capital development remains central to our sustainability approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our flagship Centres of Excellence programme stands as the largest coordinated ICT research initiative in South Africa, fostering collaboration between academia, government, and industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last year, Telkom invested R9.6 million to support 250 postgraduate students advancing research in communication technologies &#8211; work that will propel industry innovation and national competitiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond research, our Telkom Foundation dedicates substantial resources to improving maths and science education, integrating technology into classrooms, and developing digital skills among learners and unemployed youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These ongoing investments improve educational outcomes and build the talent pipeline needed for South Africa\u2019s technological future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A path forward, together<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The road to full sustainability is complex and demands continual innovation, collaboration, and investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet, Telkom\u2019s progress affirms that integrating sustainable practices in operations, empowering inclusive economic growth, and advancing skills development are not aspirational side projects &#8211; they are business imperatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As technology reshapes the world around us, Telkom is committed to leading responsibly and building a resilient company that supports a thriving, connected South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/group.telkom.co.za\/sustainability\/Sustainability.html?utm_source=MyBroadband&amp;utm_medium=SponsoredArticle&amp;utm_term=August2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Click here to learn more about Telkom\u2019s approach to sustainability.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As technology reshapes the world around us, Telkom is committed to leading responsibly and building a resilient company that supports a thriving, connected South Africa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":341030,"featured_media":608568,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28937],"tags":[109],"class_list":["post-608566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industrynews","tag-telkom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608566"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/341030"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=608566"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608566\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":611003,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/608566\/revisions\/611003"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/608568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=608566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=608566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=608566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}