Fortress Social Involvement:

Black Economic Empowerment (BEE)

Fortress is committed to do their part to uplift their workers and their families as well as the community they live in. Detailed programmes are repeatedly negotiated with their workers and local rural community leaders.

They include:

• Skills development
• Business development
• Black equity
• Development of Black apprentices
• Black management training
• Preferential procurement
• Social contribution to Black development

On the 20th August 2008, as a result of the proactive initiatives in this field FORTRESS has been rated a Level 4 contributor (with a score of between 65% and 75%) BEE compliant (Certificate BEE No: 004801).

Housing

Some workers are given the opportunity to be housed with their families in solid stone houses with electricity and water, with their own gardens, as well as a communal garden under irrigation.
Others chose to be paid a monthly housing allowance to enable them to acquire their own houses in the local Frankfort community.

Adopt a Tree

In 1994 this scheme was specially designed for upliftment of the wives of Fortress workers, who can in their own time and by their own decision attend to the necessary work, allowing them to fulfill their normal private duties in their homes and additionally earn extra income and beautify the farm. Fortress provides water, compost, plastic bags and tree seeds free of charge. The tree seeds are either collected on the farm itself (i.e. acorns) or purchased. They are initially planted near their houses under shade cloth at nursery conditions later all over the farm and tended to until no more watering and weed control is necessary. Payment is effected per number of trees grown from a seed and on annual growth of these trees as a result of good care.

Training

A limited number of young farmers are selected each year in January under strict pre-conditions. An agricultural background with basic experience in farming to learn about all aspects of their operation are also a prerequisite.

Fortress School

The majority of Fortress workers have with the help of additional housing allowances, elected to reside in Namahadi, a suburb of Frankfort and are provided with free bus transport by Fortress to their work place.   This resulted in too little learners attending the Fortress School.   Since 2009 therefore, 22 children are transported by the Fortress Bus from Namahadi to the Fortress School and back.

Proactive Wildlife Management

This practice on Fortress allows them to harvest wildlife by encouraging visiting Wingshooters and Hunters to make donations to further develop the Fortress School and sponsor some of the Fortress Soccer Team equipment.