Shared value and impact
Shared value and impact
Overview
A revolution is taking place in business. In the Shared Value and Impact practice our purpose is to reshape capitalism to serve the world. We put flourishing societies and ecosystems at the centre of the economy, not as afterthoughts.
We regard the company as the most powerful economic engine ever invented - and when companies start to think beyond narrow shareholder value to the creation of impact, they can also become potent drivers of development, social progress, inclusion and sustainability.
Areas of Expertise
Impact measurement
Impact can be assessed for a company, an investment, a project, or a sector and is an important tool in strategy, project implementation, regulatory advocacy, staff motivation and reputation management.
We are leaders in helping companies and investors conceptualise, measure and articulate the social, economic and environmental value created (or destroyed) by a company, sector or investment.
Shared value and impact strategy
As the world searches for a more inclusive form of capitalism, companies and investors need new commercial models and strategies with high positive social and environmental impact.
We work with leading companies and investors to design societal strategies and business models, not as corporate charity, but at the commercial core of the business.
In South Africa, we advise on meaningful transformation strategies including enterprise and supplier development, inclusive employment, and working with communities.
Public policy
We advise companies across the continent on public and governmental affairs. We help them to understand and navigate the political economy, and to craft positive public policy strategy, supported by strong technical research and positions.
Public policy services include stakeholder mapping, policy and regulatory analysis, position papers, dialogue facilitation, and strategies for the mitigation of political, regulatory and legislative risk.
Projects
A new approach to impact reporting rolled out in Ghana with SCB
Standard Chartered Bank partnered with Genesis as impact advisors to develop a next generation approach to impact measurement and reporting. This new approach was rolled out in a case study on lending to the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors in Ghana.
Building a transformational approach to impact for Sappi
Sappi, with its long-standing commitment to sustainability, needed a coherent strategy to further scale business and societal value creation. An important consideration, as one of the country’s largest land owners, was its relationship with rural communities.
What should be bank's stand on radical land reform?
Land reform is the most pressing social and political issue in South Africa. Genesis was approached by a Big Four bank to formulate its official position on land reform, especially on the question of land expropriation without compensation.
Raising the drinking age to 21: Pros and cons
The National Economic and Development Labour Council (Nedlac) commissioned Genesis Analytics to conduct an urgent independent study on the likely economic, health and social impacts of some of the amendments proposed in the Liquor Amendment Bill, 2017.
Working on a solution to turn around South Africa’s rust belt
The CEOs’ Initiative, a grouping of 60 top CEOs, asked Genesis Analytics to diagnose the challenges in the Vaal region and come up with a solution. Our team worked with the government and big businesses in the region to design a rejuvenation plan.
What value does Airbnb add to the South African economy?
Since its launch in 2015 Airbnb has grown rapidly in South Africa. Like other disruptive businesses, it has faced pushback from the traditional hospitality industry. To establish the contribution of Airbnb, the Shared Value practice at Genesis Analytics was asked to undertake an independent study to quantify the benefit of Airbnb to the economy.
Related Focus Areas
Agriculture and agribusiness
Africa’s agricultural sector is critical to sustainable economic development. It supports economic opportunities in rural communities, the alleviation of poverty and plays an essential role in food security. Genesis works across the public-private interface for governments, donors, philanthropic and private sector clients.
Unlocking the sector’s potential requires a combination of political will, enabling regulatory frameworks, improved access to finance, skills investment and climate change adaptation. An understanding of these interlocking factors underpins our approach to programme design and implementation.
Communications and broadcasting
We work with governments and regulators to cut through the complexities of digital markets and ensure that digital policy and regulation are fit for purpose, striking the optimal balance between intervention and innovation. Our work includes all aspects of governance and economic regulation including competition, digital rights, data protection and privacy, consumer protection, e-commerce, economic structure and digital trade.
Financial services strategy
Our Financial Services team has completed more than 600 projects across sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East since 2001. We work with leading financial institutions to address their challenges, unlock value for their stakeholders and shape the future of the industry.
Our team understands the evolving technology and market structures, economics and regulatory trends across all segments of the financial services sector. Our distinct approach is characterised by deep specialisation and rigorous analysis based on a strong economics foundation.
Health
We work with our clients to develop solutions aimed at improving the health of populations throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.
Our region faces the challenges of the quadruple burden of disease, which includes both communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as violence and injury.
Coupled with this are relatively weak health systems, heavy reliance on donor funding and inequitable public and private sectors. Within this context, we provide experts with decades of experience in the design, implementation, costing and evaluation of health programmes, and strengthening of sustainable health systems.
Manufacturing
The manufacturing sector ranges from industrial to fast-moving consumer goods. Genesis has extensive experience in providing services across this sector, from the manufacture of steel, cement, chemicals, resins and fertilizers to credit cards, supermarkets, cereals and tyres.
Working in this sector requires that economists quickly come to grips with technical issues of production and use of the products. At a retail and consumer level, economists must develop an understanding of competition dynamics that are often based on product differentiation through branding and marketing. They also need to understand the socio-economic impact of the sector.
In addition to the competition economics and international trade work, our Applied Behavioural Economics practice is also active in this sector. We understand that humans routinely use biases and heuristics to make decisions, and that this often results in atypical or unexpected outcomes. We have proven that businesses can derive considerable value from designing for the fallibility of human decision-making, especially in the consumer-goods sector – whether that be in product design, marketing, sales, service, channels, or other functional areas.