Sanlam’s Youth4Tourism scoops the 2025 Trialogue Strategic CSI Award

Sanlam’s Youth4Tourism initiative has been named the winner of the 2025 Trialogue Strategic CSI Award, recognising its innovative approach to tackling youth unemployment while revitalising South Africa’s tourism sector.

Launched in 2023 in partnership with the Youth Employment Service (YES), Youth4Tourism connects public, private, and community partners to create meaningful work opportunities for young South Africans and strengthen tourism in the post-Covid recovery phase.

The annual award, first introduced by corporate responsibility consultancy Trialogue in 2014, recognises corporate social investment (CSI) programmes that deliver meaningful societal impact alongside clear benefits to the business, exemplifying the core principles of strategic CSI.

"The Strategic CSI Award celebrates programmes that go beyond traditional corporate philanthropy to create shared value – delivering meaningful social impact while strengthening business competitiveness,” said Trialogue director Cathy Duff.

“This year's winner demonstrates exactly this balance. Youth4Tourism shows how strategic partnerships and innovative thinking can address critical national challenges in ways that benefit communities, businesses, and entire sectors. It's an inspiring example of what's possible when companies align their CSI investments with both societal needs and business objectives." Addressing youth unemployment while bolstering tourism

Tourism is one of the most promising sectors for youth employment in South Africa, and a record 1.9 million employment opportunities were expected in the sector this year.

However, it is not always easy for young people without work experience to find meaningful placements.

Youth4Tourism bridges this gap by funding and designing pathways for young people to enter the sector. Corporate partners – including Mercedes-Benz SA, Hollard, Pizza Hut, Fairtree, Sun International, and the Tourism Business Council of South Africa – have helped to fund youth jobs and sponsor training.

Their contributions have enabled young people to be placed in a wide variety of tourism and related roles, ranging from chefs and tour guides to concierges and content creators. Implementing partners, including Conservation South Africa, RLABS, Youth Content Collective, and Africa Foundation, deliver training and assist in managing on-the-ground placements.

From internships to entrepreneurship

The programme’s results speak for themselves.

In Phase One, which ran from June 2023 to July 2024, 1 040 young people were trained and placed in internships with strategic partners. A Sanlam gig fund supported 450 gig opportunities for youth, valued at R2.1 million.

In Phase Two, the initiative expanded to support 60 small and medium-sized enterprises. Incubation and mentorship programmes were launched in collaboration with industry partners, providing access to funding and market connections for youth-led tourism businesses.

The programme led to 30 confirmed job placements with international and high-profile tourism bodies, including the Indian Consulate and the Italian, Spanish, Swiss, and UK chambers of commerce, contributing more than R60 million to the tourism sector – the cumulative value of salaries, gig earnings and SMME support. The initiative, which has shown how strategic partnerships can deliver measurable impact, has become a blueprint for inclusive development, and can easily be replicated in other sectors. 

Enhancing reputation and collaboration

The programme’s social benefits are clear, but the initiative has also had a positive impact on Sanlam.

The Youth4Tourism programme generated a total advertising value equivalent (AVE) of over R780 000 in 2024, while its website landing page garnered 136 123 views. The total public relations AVE amounted to R2.6 million.

The programme stimulated meaningful engagement with key business stakeholder groups, including Sanlam’s employees, corporate partners and implementation partners. Government recognition, notably from the Deputy President’s office, further strengthened Sanlam’s positioning as a strategic partner in national development.

Sanlam also added young entrepreneurs from the programme to its list of suppliers. This opened the door for future business deals and increased supplier diversity. It also helped Sanlam’s internal teams find new suppliers and opportunities that met their needs, sparking collaboration across the business.

Youth4Business, which was built on Youth4Tourism, directly supports the BBBEE scorecard, improving Sanlam’s standing with regulators and stakeholders. The programme has enhanced the business’s competitiveness in several ways, including by building brand equity as a purpose-driven organisation and improving its employer brand by demonstrating a commitment to youth empowerment.

Demonstrating strategic relevance

Judges Gugu McLaren-Ushewokunze, the head of economic inclusion at the National Business Initiative, and Jacob Mati, Deputy Director of the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI), stated that they sought projects with clearly articulated theories of change, accompanied by precise measurements and data.

“Sanlam’s Youth4Tourism initiative had several key measurable objectives, including the creation of more than 1 000 employment opportunities for young people,” they noted. “The entry demonstrated the strategic relevance and impact of the initiative through building a skilled talent pipeline for the sector and diversifying Sanlam’s supply chain.”

Speaking on behalf of the winner at the Trialogue Business in Society Handbook 2025 launch on 2 December 2025, Sanlam chief transformation officer Thandeka Nkambule said: “This recognition affirms that empowering youth is not just a social imperative. It is a business strategy that unlocks talent, drives innovation and builds sustainable values for the future.”

​​​Commendable mentions were given to:

• Absa’s X YAEI Youth Entrepreneurship Development Programme, which assists aspiring entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 and 35, focuses on youth entrepreneurship, financial literacy, digital readiness and township economies. With a cumulative R4.5 million investment by Absa, 2 304 aspiring entrepreneurs were supported in the 2024 programme cycle, with a total early-stage entrepreneurial activity rate of about 55% (1 277) and a new business ownership rate of about 37% (842).
• AECI’s Level Up programme with Siyabonga Africa, which empowers grassroots social enterprises to create jobs, provide affordable food, and drive community transformation through training, market access, and environmental innovations. The programme’s impact includes the establishment and support of 10 social enterprises; the creation of more than 130 work opportunities; ongoing support of 1 400 vulnerable individuals in high-need communities each month; and the establishment of more than 100 home food gardens.

Entries for the 2026 Trialogue Strategic CSI Award can be submitted from May 2026.