If music be the food of love

In South Africa, as in all the countries where EGP is present, we are committed to helping local communities. That’s why the Supporting Communities 4 Self-Employment program (COSSEMP) is so close to our hearts. Its aim is to empower disadvantaged people in remote areas so that they can either find employment or self-employment as it provides the necessary skills and resources to promote enterprise development. "While cultural industries present viable opportunities for promoting economic growth around the globe, local talent is not nurtured or supported enough. On further investigation, we discovered that there were no recording facilities for local artists in Adelaide, Bedford, Cookhouse or Somerset East, and there were no organized opportunities for developing local talent". Lizeka Dlepu, EGP RSA’s Head of Sustainability To address this problem, EGP decided to establish a well-equipped recording studio, Friends Music Production, in Bedford, Eastern Cape, near the Nojoli Wind Farm. To date, multiple initiatives to help harbour musical talent have taken place. They include: a talent search, the recording of two albums, the setting up of a gospel group and the cutting of 320 CDs. This has created new jobs for seven people in the local community. Local artist Mhlonitshwa Labi was so inspired by the initiative he named the first song on his album “Nojoli” after the wind farm of the same name. Labi says he is the happiest member of his community, thanks to EGP’s support: “You have never given up on us. Today we sing a completely different tune, because you have shown us the light, and life will never be the same again. Thank you”. Professional training The Nojoli Wind Farm itself has also given a boost to employment prospects in the area. It is located in the Somerset East region of the Eastern Cape and has seen a number of employees succeed through the company’s various training initiatives. For example, we sponsored a Wind Turbine Technician Training initiative - a program which has enabled many in the semi-rural surrounding towns and communities to upskill themselves and attain globally recognized qualifications and greater access to employment opportunities. Furthermore, EGP’s involvement in the communities surrounding the Nojoli plant has in recent years included the global Liter of Light initiative - a project dedicated to stable access to electricity. It enables recycled plastic bottles and materials to be transformed into solar energy lamps that can provide zero-emission lighting in the most remote areas. Sustainable development Whether we’re talking about music, the Nojoli Wind Farm or recycling plastics, all of these initiatives show our deep commitment to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular we can refer to SDG 7, “Affordable and clean energy,” SGD 8, “Decent work and economic growth,” and SDG 11, “Sustainable cities and communities.” These principles guide EGP’s mission in its production of renewable energy, both in South Africa and throughout the world.

{{ currentMenugamenu.label }}

{{ currentSubMenugamenu.label }}

{{ card.title }}

{{ currentSubMenugamenu.numbers.title }}

If music be the food of love

If music be the food of love