Think globally, act locally

“No man is an island”, so the saying goes. And at DaimlerChrysler we believe the same is true of companies. No business should exist in isolation from the community in which it operates. And so we are genuinely committed to making a positive difference to the lives of our employees, their families and their society.

Here in South Africa, our social responsibility programmes are particularly important as a means of redressing the historical imbalances of our nation. DaimlerChrysler's people reflect this country's diverse cultures and we try to foster workplace relationships based on mutual respect and dignity. We are proud of our exemplary policies on Employment Equity, and of the progress we have made towards making our company fully representative of this country's people. During the past decade, we have maintained exceptionally high standards of service and delivery, while remaining true to our core values of integrity and fair practice.

Developing our people, helping them reach their full potential through ongoing training and education has been our priority and it has been an inspiration to witness their progress, both at work and play. We are also greatly impressed by their efforts to grapple with the devastating effects of HIV/Aids in our communities.

This report profiles a small cross-section of the many projects DaimlerChrysler supports throughout South Africa. Their scope and impact are far-reaching and we are immensely proud of the social transformation we've achieved to date through them. I hope they reflect our priorities and our belief that we have a critical role to play in creating a better, fairer society in the future.

Working with you, we have no doubt that we shall succeed.