Platinum Members
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Platinum Member Profile: RSSC The Royal Swaziland Sugar Corporation (RSSC), located in the north‐eastern lowveld, is one of the largest Swazi‐owned business group, employing in excess of 2300 permanent staff and producing two‐thirds of the country’s sugar. RSSC has two mills located in Mhlume and Simunye, and an ethanol plant located in Simunye. Listed on the Swaziland Stock Exchange, RSSC is owned by approximately 562 shareholders, the majority shareholders being Tibiyo Taka Ngwane with 53.1%, followed by TSB sugar International (Proprietary) Limited with 25.8%. Other shareholders include the Swaziland Government, the Nigerian Government, Coca‐Cola, Broker Tate Limited and the public. RSSC owns and manages 15 629 hectare of irrigated sugar cane estate on land leased from the Swazi Nation and manages a further 5009 hectares on behalf of third parties, delivering approximately 2.3 million tones of cane per season to the Group’s two sugar mills. These two mills currently crush cane at a combined throughput of 700 tonnes per hour, producing approximately 434 000 tonnes (2006‐452,000) (96 Pol) of sugar per season. RSSC also operates a sugar refinery, situated at the Mhlume mill, which produces 120 000 tonnes of refined sugar, and a 32 million liter capacity Ethanol plant, which is situated adjacent to the Simunye mill. RSSC plays a significant role in the development of rural Swaziland, with over 2 500 families currently involves in sugar cane production as small scale farmers who deliver to its two mills. From a land area measuring 11 356 hectares, they produce 1.2 million tones of sugar cane and supply 52.0% of the Mhlume mill’s total cane and 25.0% of the Simunye mill’s total cane. As at end year, more than 3 095 hectares of cane had been developed by small‐holder farmers in the Komati Basin, under the auspices of the Swaziland Water Agriculture Development Enterprise (proprietary) Limited (SWADE). RSSC provides and manages housing and all related infrastructure for its employees and their dependents, on the estates’ various towns and villages. Apart from the Group’s direct employees, a further 20 000 people live on the estates. The Group provides health care at two site based clinics, central managed by a Medical Services Manager, and the emphasis is on primary health care and the prevention of diseases. First class primary education is also provided at a private English medium school‐Thembelisha Preparatory School. The Group is also a founder member and a major stakeholder in Mananga College, a private high school established to improve the availability of first class education facilities in the lowveld. There are a further 7 government owned schools on the estates‐4 primary schools and 3 high schools, to which the Group provides substantial support. A wide range of recreational facilities are provide mainly through two RSSC owned county clubs, one on each estate, as well as through other facilities that are located in strategic areas on these estates. The Group also provides sponsorship for cultural and sporting activates, including sponsorship for RSSC Football Club. A well‐established Safety, Health and Environmental policy aims to provide ideal working conditions, safeguarding all those affected by the operations of RSSC and ensuring the maintenance of a clean and healthy environment. RSSC s recognized HIV/AIDS as a strategic business issues managing it at the highest level in the organization. This is facilitated through the HIV/AIDS Tripartite Committee in which Management, the Staff Association and Union are represented. The Committee is chaired by the Managing Director. An HIV/AIDS Programme Co‐ordinator facilitates all HIV/AIDS programme and related issues The two Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Centre which were established jointly with the National Emergency Response Council on HIV/AIDS (NERCHA) in 2003 at Mhlume and Simunye estates continue to operate successfully. The free Anti‐Retroviral Treatment (ART) which became available for employees towards the end of 2004 through NERCHA from the Global Fund continues to be accessible.
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