Poised to become a mid-tier gold producer

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a key strategic component of Great Basin Gold’s development and operational business practice, the goal being to align and integrate our operations with the needs of the communities hosting our operations, and to make meaningful investments in these communities. We are doing this by creating job opportunities while introducing education and training, as well as poverty alleviation and enterprise development projects.

Our CSR objective is to facilitate and be party to meaningful, life-changing programs aligned to the need of our communities. Many of our implemented programs revolve around establishing social infrastructure focused on community health, poverty alleviation, skills development, job creation and small business enterprise development – all being the glue for social cohesion. We work in partnership with local and provincial governments, community committees and councils, as well as NGOs with a presence in the region.

From the inception stage we have initiated comprehensive CSR programs and sought out community engagement as part of a social dialogue and management of community expectations. Our CSR strategy and program are aligned to government and local committees’ program priorities, focused on establishing global and country-based partnerships.

Key focus areas:

Education & Training

We attempt to address the problems surrounding standard of education and learner performance in South Africa, specifically regarding mathematics, science and computer skills. Poor performance in these areas not only has the potential to exclude South Africans from participating in the country’s new economy, but could also have a detrimental effect on the economic growth potential of the country in relation to the rest of the world.

In May 2011, Great Basin Gold sponsored a Career Exhibition in which eight large scale companies and institutions participated and which was attended by 346 grade 12 students in the Balfour and Dipaleseng school system. The company is also rolling out an initiative whereby 35 computers with internet connectivity will be provided for use by students of four secondary schools.

Entrepreneurship & Small/Medium Size Enterprise Development

Our enterprise development program seeks to integrate the local community with the mainstream economy – a transformation which we believe will not only improve the quality of life and community around Burnstone Mine but will also grow and increase the local economy’s overall sustainability. Examples of successful initiatives include a locally run employee shuttle service, a canteen and catering service, gardening and site laundry services. The Company, in partnership with supplier FL SMIT and Deloitte Consulting, also presented a six week development program in 2010 to 25 local entrepreneurs focused on teaching skills for business establishment, management and development, with plans to run a similar program on an ongoing annual basis.

Youth Sports

Following the success of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Great Basin Gold seized the opportunity to partner with local government and reestablish administration structures facilitating sports codes such as soccer and athletics. The primary aim has been to integrate these clubs with regional, provincial and national leagues, allowing local athletes to compete in a structured environment and drawing a supporter base from the larger community. In Nevada the company has focused on individual sponsorships for promising athletes.

The Burnstone Development Trust

Great Basin Gold established the Burnstone Development Trust in 2010 in order to build sustainable development projects that will endure beyond the life of the Burnstone Mine and create ongoing benefits for the surrounding Dipaleseng host community, which includes the towns of Greylingstad, Grootvlei and Balfour.

The objectives of the Trust are to identify, develop, promote and financially support key economic projects that will facilitate transformation and contribute to the economic growth and sustainability of Dipaleseng. In addition, the Trust will facilitate and manage community-based and sectoral regeneration activities of the local economy which will result in a socio-economic benefits and promote funding towards and initiating economic projects that will specifically create employment and direct investment opportunities. The Trust will target investments in the areas of infrastructure development, education, environment, training, skills development, entrepreneurship and economic diversification.

Click here to read a letter from Great Basin Gold CEO Ferdi Dippenar to South Africa’s Honourable Minister of Mineral Resources Susan Shabango, concerning the Company’s CSR activities.