We are uniquely placed to make a positive difference in the lives of community members from infancy to adulthood, equipping them with the education, skills and practical support they need to transform their tomorrow.
Freddie Swart, CEO, ArcelorMittal South Africa Foundation.
ArcelorMittal South Africa, which started off as Iscor in 1928, is an important part of the economic life of the communities surrounding its steel-producing sites.
The communities of Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging in Gauteng are particularly reliant on ArcelorMittal SA, which employs many of the communities’ inhabitants; others work at the smaller companies engaged in downstream steel and associated activities. The local economies of Newcastle in KZN, Saldanha in the Western Cape and Tshwane, also in Gauteng, all benefit from ArcelorMittal South Africa’s operations, as do the surrounding communities.
But our goal in these communities is about more than local economic activity. Through the ArcelorMittal Foundation, we aim to become brokers of hope, uplifting people, improve their quality of life and creating opportunities for their long-term development.
ArcelorMittal South Africa’s impact can be felt across three overlapping areas: socio-economic development, enterprise and supplier development and economic empowerment. This is achieved through initiatives aimed at early childhood development, school-age education, adult training and entrepreneurial development.