The concept of shared value – where companies create economic value in ways that simultaneously generate value for society – represents a powerful shift in business thinking. Rather than treating profit and social progress as opposing forces, shared value recognises they can be mutually reinforcing.
But what does this look like in practice? Case studies offer invaluable insights into how companies are successfully implementing shared value principles. They provide practical examples that others can learn from and adapt to their own contexts. The following case studies from Shared Value Africa (SVA) help to illustrate these principles and demonstrate how businesses are creating meaningful impact while driving sustainable growth.
- Financial services provider Old Mutual’s Old Mutual Karino Lifestyle Estate helps first-time home buyers to access the property market through an investment opportunity in a safe, desirable and affordable South African estate.
- Discovery Limited, a South African financial services company, exemplifies shared value through its Vitality Shared-Value Insurance model. Focusing on prevention and wellness rather than just treating illness, Discovery has shifted traditional health insurance. This approach creates business value by reducing claims costs while delivering social value by improving members’ health outcomes.
- Enel Green Power is committed to shared value principles, generating economic profit while addressing social and environmental issues within the communities where they operate, often by investing in local development projects, training programmes, and initiatives that benefit the local population alongside their renewable energy production activities.
- In Rwanda, more than 80% of the population lives in rural areas with little or no access to primary healthcare. In a collaborative effort to address the gap, the Ministry of Health, the Society for Family Health Rwanda and global healthcare company Abbott have embarked on a shared value pilot programme to establish health posts that deliver quality healthcare to rural Rwandan communities.
- Kenyan mobile network operator Safaricom demonstrates shared value by leveraging its telecommunications infrastructure to empower smallholder farmers. Recognising that agriculture employs 60% of Kenyans yet contributes only 30% to GDP, Safaricom uses mobile technology to address farmers’ challenges. Since 90% of smallholder farmers already use mobile phones, the company develops solutions to provide better access to agricultural data, resources, and financing, creating business value while helping farmers increase their productivity and income.
SVA is a pan-African organisation dedicated to building Africa’s most impactful shared value community. It works to foster African-driven solutions to African challenges, helping businesses find growth opportunities while addressing critical social and environmental issues.
