How can Corporate Social Responsibility deliver in Africa?: insights from Kenya and Zambia

How can Corporate Social Responsibility deliver in Africa?: insights from Kenya and Zambia

Published Jan 2005

Authors

M. Kivuitu, K. Yambayamba, T. Fox

Publisher

Focus themes

Focus regions

Focus countries

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Lessons learned from the CSR agenda in Kenya and Zambia

This briefing paper describes key aspects of the emerging CSR agenda in two countries in sub- Saharan Africa (Kenya and Zambia) in order to explore what it would take to help unlock the potential private sector contribution to sustainable development in each country.

Key points highlighted by the paper include:

  • although the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is gainingsome prominence within policy debates in Kenya and Zambia, it is not applied widely and is usually associated with philanthropy
  • nevertheless there are many private sector-related initiatives and business activities in both countries that might be described as expressions of CSR, and there are also emerging specialist CSR organisations
  • the private sector contribution to sustainable development in both Zambia and Kenya could be strengthened by tackling capacity constraints among public and civil society institutions, building the drivers for responsible business, nurturing socially-oriented companies, and encouraging local business linkages
  • creating space for national dialogue between government, business, civil society and donors on the role of the private sector in development can help to localise the CSR agenda, and to build trust and mutual understanding of the potential (and the limits) of businesses’ contribution to development.

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