UMSIZI  
SUSTAINABLE  
SOCIAL SOLUTIONS  
PROFILE  
2025  
Enabling broad-based  
sustainable development  
through social and economic  
solutions  
TABLE OF  
CONTENTS  
PAGE  
Who is Umsizi?  
The Umsizi Story  
Why Choose Umsizi?  
Our Service Offerings  
Mining & Social Compliance Support  
SED & LED Programmes  
Social Performance, Sustainability and  
Monitoring and Evaluation.  
Broad-Based Enterprise Development  
Social Renewal and Sustainable Relationship Building  
Programme  
Community and Stakeholder Engagement and  
Development Solutions  
BBBEE and CSR Advisory, Compliance, and Project  
Implementation  
Client Experience Summary  
Footprint of Impact on People  
Meet the Team  
Contact Page  
WHO IS  
UMSIZI?  
Umsizi Sustainable Social Solutions (Umsizi) specialises in designing  
customised solutions and implementing effective programmes to promote  
sustainable socio-economic development. Our mission is to enable  
organisations, individuals, and communities to achieve broad-based  
development through measurable social and economic solutions.  
Working closely with partners, stakeholders, and communities, particularly  
in the corporate, mining, and industrial sectors, we offer a diverse range of  
services which enable clients to meet legislative and compliance  
requirements. These include Social and Labour Plans (SLPs), Socio-  
Economic  
Development  
(SED)  
programmes,  
Corporate  
Social  
Responsibility (CSR), and the social imperatives of Environmental, Social  
and Governance (ESG), and sustainability reporting.  
Through an approach of multifaceted collaboration, Umsizi has developed  
an extensive portfolio of socio-economic development implementation  
solutions which have empowered tens of thousands of households in  
communities across South Africa, providing scalable and diverse local  
economic development opportunities that activate sustainable  
development activities.  
Umsizi’s expertise extends to providing strategic advice and planning,  
enabling our corporate clients to seamlessly integrate the social and  
community imperative into their business strategies and achieve social  
compliance.  
We take immense pride in being a level 1 BBBEE contributor, reflecting our  
unwavering commitment to promoting economic empowerment and  
advancing social transformation.  
THE UMSIZI  
STORY  
The name Umsizi, derived from the Zulu word 'helper', embodies the vision that  
founders John-Mark and his wife Louise Kilian had for our organisation. A  
vision to meaningfully empower communities through real development,  
driving positive change, and fostering sustainable socio-economic well-being.  
John-Mark started off as an ambitious, impassioned, and dedicated social scientist who  
studied Social Development and Environmental Management. He quickly gained  
valuable experience working on socio-economic development projects within the  
mining industry in South Africa, and as far away as Mali and Sierra Leone. John-Mark is a  
policy influencer who helped compile the very first Social and Labour Plan in South  
Africa, and in 2002, worked with the then Department of Mineral and Energy in providing  
practical knowledge and case studies which influenced the regulations and guidelines  
for the SLP.  
This passion, knowledge, and the determination to be a ‘helper’, are exemplified in Umsizi  
by an equally passionate and dedicated team of experts in their fields.  
With almost two decades of experience, Umsizi has established itself as a trusted  
provider of sustainable socio-economic development, reporting, and compliance  
solutions, which consistently deliver real impactful outcomes that demonstrate our  
dedication to partners and communities. Our team works with government, industry  
stakeholders, leaders, and communities to pioneer development programmes which  
have successfully and meaningfully empowered those living in poverty and inequality  
on a broad-based scale.  
Looking ahead, Umsizi is committed to using our tried and tested methodology to bring  
social and economic change and impact on a global scale. Through collaboration with  
partners in South Africa, and worldwide, we can address socio-economic challenges on  
a larger scale, with a focus on implementing sustainable development practices,  
promoting social and economic participatory development, and empowering  
marginalised communities to drive systemic change that improves the lives of  
communities globally.  
“The LORD has anointed me, to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim  
liberty, they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.” (Isaiah 61:1 & 4)  
WHY CHOOSE  
UMSIZI?  
We have helped over 150 clients navigate their legislative landscape since 2006  
We have designed, implemented, monitored, and evaluated over 50 bespoke  
multi-year SED programmes nationally  
We are able to build sustainable mutually beneficial relationships between  
clients, stakeholders, leaders, and communities  
We are trusted industry experts, and have presented and facilitated more than  
100 industry conferences, master classes, and capacity building events  
Our diverse solutions for social economic development and social consulting  
have brought sustainable impact and change in over 100 communities and  
regions  
Robust methodologies developed from science, research, innovation, and best  
practice, are evidenced in the 400+ Social and Labour and Local Economic  
Development Plans we have developed in the mining industry  
We have a proven reputation and a track record of programme delivery that  
includes more than 40,000 beneficiaries empowered across the provinces of  
South Africa  
Our SED solutions focus on empowering individuals with diversified livelihoods,  
enterprises and productive infrastructure solutions. To date, we have  
constructed over 2500 productive greenhouse tunnel infrastructure and water  
provision solutions  
There are countless testimonies of our track record from households, people,  
stakeholders, leaders, and clients of how Umsizi helped to bring a new reality of  
change and hope  
Umsizi always goes over and beyond in its vision through investing its own  
resources into development  
OUR SERVICE  
OFFERINGS  
Mining Social Compliance Support Services with a  
focus on Social and Labour Plans  
Socio-Economic Development and Local Economic  
Development Programmes  
Social Performance, Sustainability, and Monitoring  
and Evaluation  
Broad-Based Enterprise Development  
Social Renewal and Sustainable Relationship Building  
Programmes  
Community and Stakeholder Engagement and  
Development Solutions  
Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment and  
Corporate Social Responsibility Advisory, Compliance,  
and Project Implementation  
MINING SOCIAL COMPLIANCE SUPPORT  
SERVICES WITH A FOCUS ON SLPs  
Umsizi is known as an industry leader in assisting mining companies to obtain  
and maintain a license to operate, within the context of Social and Corporate  
governance within ESG and Social Performance principles. We possess extensive  
knowledge and experience in the mining, social development, and legal  
compliance landscape, and understanding community dynamics within the  
mining industry.  
OUR COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF SERVICES INCLUDES:  
strategic compliance advisory support  
outsourced social compliance support services  
social impact assessment study (SIA)  
design and compilation of SLPs  
socio-economic baseline studies, stakeholder, and community  
consultations  
local economic development programme design  
procurement, enterprise and supplier development analysis, plans,  
and solutions  
implementation analysis and planning of SLPs  
compliance with housing and living conditions standards  
social compliance reporting  
mine closure requirements  
capacity building with stakeholders, communities, and organised  
labour  
Through our service offerings, we will help you to  
achieve a greater understanding and compliance  
with mining legislative requirements, improve your  
stakeholder collaboration and trust, effectively  
implement your SLPs, ensure alignment with your  
social performance values, and help you to achieve a  
strong impact on your local communities through  
sustainable mine community development (MCD)  
and Local Economic Development (LED) programmes.  
What sets Umsizi apart?  
SED & LED DEVELOPMENT  
PROGRAMMES  
We recognise the immense potential within local communities surrounding  
corporate industry or mining operations. Our comprehensive SED and LED  
programmes provide a sustainable framework for unlocking this potential and  
empowering individuals to thrive. Through an inclusive approach that considers  
the economic, social, and sustainable aspects of development, we create  
opportunities for meaningful and lasting change in communities.  
KEY OFFERINGS OF UMSIZI'S SED AND LED PROGRAMMES:  
Umsizi Livelihoods Programmes: We employ a large scale inclusive  
.
approach to empowering disadvantaged communities (focused on  
individuals and households) to independently improve their own  
livelihoods and economic well-being, through the transfer of  
knowledge and strategies to access economic opportunities through  
a diverse range of livelihood options.  
Productive infrastructure: We provide solutions which directly  
.
contribute to the expansion of productive economic activity, increase  
profit, expand enterprises, and increase livelihood resilience. Our  
productive infrastructure options include creating sustainable access  
to water, energy, crop and local economic enhancement solutions.  
Income generating projects: We work closely with beneficiaries and  
.
funders to avoid common pitfalls of development and achieve  
planned objectives. These projects are deliberately designed and  
implemented applying principles and methods which allow  
beneficiaries to generate self-driven, sustainable income  
through trade, or the production of goods or provision of  
services.