Sustainability commitments

We live our Famous values.

Our sustainability journey is a successful one. However, we have to look beyond our immediate surroundings and turn our focus towards the communities in which we operate to continue creating stakeholder value and sustainable growth.

Environmental report

We have identified two of the UN SDGs which are relevant to our environmental philosophy and activities in the Group; these are goal 12 (responsible consumption and production) and goal 13 (climate action). The goals respectively relate to sustainable consumption and production, and combatting climate change and its impacts by regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy.

Our environmental and climate change policy sets out our commitment to responsible environmental practices and identifies key areas of focus and objectives with respect to air pollution reduction and eco-efficiency aimed at reducing our environmental footprint and contributing to a more sustainable operating environment for the benefit of all.

These initiatives include:

  • optimisation of transport efficiencies in our Logistics fleet;
  • ongoing review and implementation of energy-saving initiatives;
  • conversion of paraffin-fuelled boilers to compressed natural gas;
  • conversion of restaurant equipment in Company-owned and franchised restaurants to operate on LPG where practicable and possible,
  • investigating alternative cleaner fuel and energy options (with lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emission factors);
  • efficient water usage and effluent management;
  • maximising recycling opportunities for our general waste;
  • responsible sourcing of sustainable food products for processing;
  • reduction in food wastage through portion control and made-to-order practices in our restaurants; and
  • responsible re-use or redistribution of food through donation of excess food products.

Our sustainability journey

Our communities, partners, workforce and operations are our pride.

We are addressing best practice activities and have developed several policies and implementation plans. Several initiatives were rolled out across our operations to drive our journey to success.

Our Leading brands are promoting greater health-consciousness revolving around healthy alternatives on our menus. These include reduced sugar and salt, and vegetarian and vegan options.

Some of the things we are doing include introducing cage-free eggs across our restaurant network. We are also eliminating single-use plastic and polystyrene and wherever possible, and sourcing biodegradable alternatives.

One of our priorities is reducing food wastage. We are promoting portion control and made-to-order practices in our restaurants. Our franchise partners also implemented responsible reuse and redistribution of food through donating excess food and byproducts to charity.

The infographic below pertains to our South African and UK restaurant network.

Ongoing: Eliminating food wastage is a key priority and we actively promote portion control and made-to-order practices in our restaurants. Our franchise partners also implement responsible re-use and redistribution of food through donation of excess food/by-products. February 2020: Cage-free eggs in use by Vovo Telo, tashas, Mugg & Bean, Fego Caffé, Paul, Creative Coffees and Europa. Steers will commence the transition in October 2020 and Wimpy in early 2021. The balance of the restaurant network will convert by 2025. Effective October 2019 egg products were removed from all manufactured sauces, (qualifying them as vegan), and a phased roll out of the sauces commenced.All polystyrene eliminated from our Leading brands restaurant network and replaced with recyclable and recycled packaging. March 2019: We commenced converting all hot takeaway coffee cups to a fully biodegradable and compostable alternative. Vovo Telo and Mugg & Bean conversion complete; the remaining brands will follow in August 2020. December 2018: Our Logistics supply chain operation ceased stocking plastic straws. 2025: Single-use plastic will be eliminated across our restaurant network and replaced with fully recyclable, compostable and/or biodegradable alternatives. June 2020: Concluded elimination of balloons in Debonairs Pizza, Fishaways and Wimpy SA and AME restaurants. April 2019: Recycling logos were added to all our plastic cutlery to drive awareness that the material can be recycled and responsibly disposed of. February 2019: All plastic straws were removed from the SA and UK restaurant network and replaced with paper straws. January 2018: Wimpy UK converted to using free-range eggs in all own-label products.

Transformation

We have, for the first time in an IAR, included a dedicated report on transformation in the Group. We view transformation as a social, moral and strategic business imperative and will continue to improve on our disclosure in this regard over time. I am pleased to confirm that emanating from sustained management focus and implementation of meaningful interventions in the SA operations, the Group has improved its BBBEE rating from level 7 to level 4. Strategies are in place to accelerate transformation initiatives in the year ahead. We are mindful, however, that these initiatives may be impacted in the context of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

We pride ourselves in our corporate citizenship

What effects our stakeholders, may have an impact on us.

Statistics indicate that three out of 10 South Africans are obese. The Department of Health and other organisations are initiating plans to educate people in curbing this, and in making healthier choices.

Famous Brands is doing its part in supporting these initiatives by rolling out several menu changes and hosting awareness campaigns to ensure we make a valuable contribution to society.

Better for You awareness

One of these initiatives is our Better for You campaign. The campaign was rolled out into many of our Leading brands:

  • Our Leading brands’ menus have a Better for You offering.
  • Vegetarian and/or vegan offerings are available on all menus (excluding Wakaberry and Giramundo menus).
  • Menus differentiate between sugar sodas versus sugar-free sodas; the sugar-free option being cheaper.
    Our TruFruit juice range was reformulated to comply with sugar legislation.
  • Salads and vegetables are offered as a swap-out to chips on our Wimpy menu.
  • Debonairs Pizza launched its Rustic Slim Fit Range of pizzas with a thin base and half the cheese.
  • Steers introduced a Better for You icon on menus to showcase better choices, and highlighted bottled water as a swap-out to soda at no extra cost.
  • Fishaways introduced an under 500 calorie menu.
  • Full nutritional guidelines are provided on all our Leading brand websites so that customers can make healthier food choices.

Our corporate social investment

This is how we invest in our communities needing our help.

Eastern Cape Beef Fund

Beef initiative

Famous Brands is a co-sponsor of the Eastern Cape AgriBEE Beef Fund initiative.

R20 million

Famous Brands will contribute a total of R20 million, comprising R5 million per year over four years

188

Black Eastern Cape beef farms are supported by the initiative

Over 800

jobs were created by this initiative

R100 million

This project raised R100 million

Over 16 000

calves on farms are taken care of by Black and/or land reform farmers under the mentorship and supervision of the Fund

Over 3 500

people are direct and indirect beneficiaries creating community development in the Eastern Cape

Literacy campaign

Literacy campaign

What we did

Steers helped build libraries in several disadvantaged communities. We believe that these libraries will give disadvantaged communities the opportunities and the tools they need to further educate themselves.

Steers’ goal is to raise funds to build children’s libraries in disadvantaged communities.

Our partners:

  • Rounda: a public-private initiative driven by civil society to collect change for charity
  • SHOUT Foundation: a non-profit organisation focused on creating a safer South Africa
  • Our customers: voluntary donations can be made at any of our franchised Steers restaurants

What we achieved

In 2018, we raised R2 million for the SHOUT Foundation and in 2019, we raised a further R663 000 through collaborating with Rounda. These funds were donated toward building four libraries, one each in Motherwell, Eastern Cape; Tembisa and Soshanguve, Gauteng; and Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga.

We held a drive to stock these libraries with books.

To see the difference these initiatives make, visit:
https://steers.co.za/the-real-difference?shout