A degree of collaboration is required for technology solutions to really pay off – along with planning, commitment and hard work. Personnel at Dac Systems understand the principle and they apply it in everything they do, including the rollout of the Company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programme – at the heart of which is engagement with the people of Shongwe, Mpumalanga.

Dac Systems is a national specialist ICT services provider focused on turnkey implementation of leading edge industry solutions to help solve common business problems and automate processes.

The Company is based in Gauteng and competes at the highest level within the ICT solutions and services space. However, whilst the focus is on making sure clients derive maximum benefit from technology, members of staff and management are always mindful of the role Dac Systems plays in people and community development.

The Shongwe Project, which has been running for a decade, forms part of the company’s ongoing corporate social initiative programme, which also involves mentorship programmes under the banner of the Nkomazi Trust. The Trust owns shares in Dac Systems.

“Dac Systems sees the Shongwe trip as an opportunity for the staff to give back to the community. It is also a very powerful team-building exercise. People who go to Shongwe are involved in house-building and care-walks through which contact is made with the community supported by the Trust. Some run a programme for the orphans and other young children of the community. Those who are unable to attend this event contribute to the “care packs” which are food items handed out in the local community,” explains Gary Carter, Chairman of Dac Systems and Trustee of the Nkomazi Trust.

Once a year Dac Systems employees go to Shongwe and build a house over four days for someone that has been chosen by the community.

The houses are usually built in the Nkomazi area, but the precise location does differ from year-to-year.

The Project is viewed as being a strategic team-building exercise for the Company and also an investment in local job creation and infrastructure.

“Not only does this bring the employees closer together, but Dac Systems employs and pays builders to finish the house. The house is normally an orphan headed home, but can also be given to anyone else in need. Dac Systems also sponsors various other projects at Shongwe. Last year the Company donated freezers and now the Thembalethu facility has opened a restaurant,” Carter explains.

On a social blog, one Dac Systems employee describes one of the group sessions hosted during the Project: “We share a very special moment around the fire that night, talking about our experiences and how the trip has affected us all. This trip not only brings the staff together, but we also do something very specific for the community, we don’t just talk about donating a house, we build it. We don’t just talk about food drives, we hand them out ourselves. For this reason Dac Systems will always remain a passionate company with passionate employees and people that care.”