PPC Pretoria Portland Cement : commitment to empowering employees

PPC Ltd, a pioneer in the cement industry in southern Africa, has committed itself to better the lives of its employees and the future prosperity of the communities in which it operates through its Home Ownership Support Programme.

"Last year, through our employee housing support initiative, we committed to help some of our employees who communicated their need for decent housing to become home owners," said Yogesh Narsing, PPC's Executive for Special Projects.

It was during these engagements that some employees communicated their lack of affordability for decent houses. PPC has implemented an initiative which will see over 300 of their employees, mainly semi - skilled and who do not qualify for either a state-funded RDP house or for a bank loan, acquire a decent house.

This initiative will run over the next three to four years. PPC will also offer these employees the necessary training and the technological know-how to successfully transact for their new homes and maintain them.

Narsing is adamant that the main difference between this initiative and other prior industry initiatives is that PPC will make sure that the employee receives all the training necessary to successfully manage and maintain their new home.

"We care about our employees and one of the main ways we can help to support them is by making sure that they have a decent home. This initiative will not only see us supply the means to acquire decent housing to our employees, but also give them the technological know-how to successfully transact their new homes and maintain them," said Narsing.

"The PPC housing programme empowers employees to make informed financial choices and successfully manage their newly acquired homeowner's status. Our employees will find the land they want to build the house on, apply for a bond and a government subsidy and put up some of their own savings for their new homes. PPC will do everything in their power to make sure the deal will be possible and affordable for the beneficiaries," said Narsing.

The initiative has already seen four employees receive support for their new homes all over South Africa. The latest house will be handed over to Petrus Medupe, a Dwaalboom employee, in Mokgalwaneng Village, Modikela Section

Medupe has been a PPC employee since 1999 and supports a wife and three children. "I'm very happy that I will be able to provide my family with a home they will be proud of and be able to provide shelter for my family for generations to come. I can't thank PPC enough for their support," said Medupe.

Kerneels Grundling, General Manager of PPC Dwaalboom, is proud that one of his employees will be receiving this support from PPC. "Dwaalboom has a special place in the PPC family as it is one of the bigger plants in the rural area. He is an amazing employee and truly deserves this support," said Grundling.