Partnership between Anglo American and TechnoServe Has Helped Entrepreneurs Earn $111 Million over the Past Decade
The global mining company and international nonprofit are marking the tenth anniversary of their collaboration in South America and Southern Africa
(London, UK) – Global mining company Anglo American and international nonprofit TechnoServe are celebrating 10 years of a partnership that has helped entrepreneurs and small businesses in six South American and Southern African countries earn an additional $111 million in revenue. The partnership works to create vibrant, diversified economies in communities and regions where Anglo American has operations, providing new opportunities in areas where few existed beyond the mining value chain.
Since launching in Chile in 2011, the partnership has expanded to Botswana, Brazil, Peru, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. In each country, Anglo American and TechnoServe have worked with a range of stakeholders, including governments and businesses, and tailored their approach to the different needs and opportunities in the community.
The partners have used several levers to support local economic growth:
- Delivering training and mentorship to enable entrepreneurs and producers to grow their local small businesses;
- Helping job seekers to build their soft skills and forge links to employment opportunities;
- Fostering the growth of value chains that benefit small and medium producers and linking farmers to market opportunities;
- Identifying opportunities to integrate local firms into the mining supply chain;
- Developing financial products for entrepreneurs; and
- Strengthening local institutions to create a favorable environment for enterprise growth and employment.
Pablo Riquelme was running a small auto-mechanic shop out of the patio of his mother’s house in Colina, Chile when he first enrolled in one of the partnership’s projects in 2014. “I needed tools to transform this idea, this little start-up, into something more competitive,” he recalled. He received training on key business skills and guidance on how to access credit to purchase needed equipment.
Today, his one-man shop has grown into a 15-employee business, serving customers throughout the Santiago Metropolitan region, and he hopes to grow it into a national brand. “The program helped us throughout the entire difficult process of entrepreneurship.”
In total, Anglo American and TechnoServe have provided training to more than 6,300 local businesses—48% of them run by women—and supported 23,500 jobs. Additionally, the partnership has helped nearly 1,100 young people to find employment or start their own businesses.
Gender equality has been a focus of the partnership. Not only has it worked directly with women entrepreneurs and job-seekers, it has also helped local governments, businesses, and other institutions to incorporate gender-equality practices in their operations
The partnership has twice been awarded the government of Chile’s Más por Chile seal and has been recognized by the Chilean Mining Council for implementing good practices. Beyond Extraction—an alliance between Anglo American, TechnoServe, and the Inter-American Development Bank in Brazil, Chile, and Peru—was named a finalist for the 2021 P3 Impact Award, which recognizes the world’s most effective public-private partnerships.
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted local economies in Africa and Latin America, and Anglo American and TechnoServe are responding by giving entrepreneurs tools to navigate the crisis and help lead the economic recovery in their communities. The partnership has responded quickly to the changing situation by updating its curriculum and delivering training remotely and in a hybrid format.
“We are proud to celebrate 10 years of partnership with the fantastic team at TechnoServe,” said Jon Samuel, Group Head, Responsible Business Partnerships at Anglo American. “Across six countries, we have been able to work together to deliver on the livelihoods commitments we set in Anglo American’s Sustainable Mining Plan.”
“We are honored to be celebrating 10 years of impact with our partner Anglo American,” said TechnoServe CEO and President William Warshauer. “We started the partnership with one project in one country, and by continuously applying what we have learned to new settings, we have been able to help thousands of people across six countries. We look forward to continuing this vital work in the years to come.”
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About Anglo American
Anglo American is a leading global mining company and our products are the essential ingredients in almost every aspect of modern life. Our portfolio of world-class competitive operations, with a broad range of future development options, provides many of the future-enabling metals and minerals for a cleaner, greener, more sustainable world and that meet the fast growing every day demands of billions of consumers. With our people at the heart of our business, we use innovative practices and the latest technologies to discover new resources and to mine, process, move and market our products to our customers – safely and sustainably.
As a responsible producer of diamonds (through De Beers), copper, platinum group metals, premium quality iron ore and metallurgical coal for steelmaking, and nickel – with crop nutrients in development – we are committed to being carbon neutral across our operations by 2040. More broadly, our Sustainable Mining Plan commits us to a series of stretching goals to ensure we work towards a healthy environment, creating thriving communities and building trust as a corporate leader. We work together with our business partners and diverse stakeholders to unlock enduring value from precious natural resources for the benefit of the communities and countries in which we operate, for society as a whole, and for our shareholders. Anglo American is re-imagining mining to improve people’s lives.
About TechnoServe
TechnoServe is a leader in harnessing the power of the private sector to help people lift themselves out of poverty. A non-profit organization operating in 30 countries, we work with hard-working men and women in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. By linking people to information, capital, and markets, we have helped millions to create lasting prosperity for their families and communities.
Founded over 50 years ago, TechnoServe has been named the #1 nonprofit for fighting poverty by an independent charity ratings agency.
More information at: Facebook: @TechnoServe | Twitter: @TechnoServe | LinkedIn: @TechnoServe
