Casinos have demonstrated that they put the billions they get from their businesses to good use, according to a recent survey conducted by the Casino Association of South Africa (CASA).
During the 2014/15 financial year, CASA members contributed R134m towards social upliftment programmes. This translated into a 24% increase more than in 2013/14.
The trends in the allocation of funds also reflected CASA members’ efforts to address the country’s biggest challenge – raising the quality of education. Close to 42% (R56m) of the funds were devoted to education.
Shedding more light on this, Themba Ngobese, CEO of CASA, says: “The need for quality education remains the cornerstone of our member’s corporate social investment (CSI) strategies. The industry strongly believes that poverty and underdevelopment can be addressed through quality education with many of our members investing in bursary and youth empowerment programmes.”
Other funds were channeled to community development projects and R15m went into HIV/Aids, health and welfare programmes. Emphasis, says Ngobese in the local communities within which CASA members operate.
Titled Survey of Casino Entertainment in South Africa 2015, the report evaluates the economic and social impact of casinos by analysing publicly available data and in-depth information provided by CASA members.
