T-Systems recognised again at 2016 Gender Mainstreaming Awards

Issued by Evolution PR for T-Systems
Johannesburg, 14 Sep 2016

T-Systems South Africa has once again received multiple honours at the Gender Mainstreaming Awards (GMA) ceremony, coming first in three categories and walking away as overall winners of two of them. The GMAs, an initiative of Business Engage, exists to encourage and publicly recognise private sector buy-in on the meaningful representation of women in mainstream business.

T-Systems' repeat accolades are indicative of its commitment towards ongoing inclusive and sustainable transformation, showcasing in particular its dedication to having a real and positive impact on gender equality.

"We believe in inclusive transformation, not only for the betterment of our country and its people, but also for the creation of a culture that recognises and celebrates individual diversity to the benefit of the individual and the company. These accolades are an affirmation that we are continuing to make a positive impact with our Nation Building Strategy, which outlines our commitment to embracing the magic of 'all people', regardless of gender, race, age or disability," says Gert Schoonbee, Managing Director of T-Systems South Africa.

There are nine categories in all, of which T-Systems entered five. T-Systems was announced the overall winner in the following two categories:

* Empowerment of Women in the Community
* Women on Executive Committees in Multinationals

Furthermore, T-Systems was recognised as the winner within the non-listed Mainstreaming Gender and Disability category, and came second in the overall Women on Boards category.

The Empowerment of Women in the Community category recognises organisations that implemented sustainable initiatives around the alleviation of poverty through skills development and income opportunity provision, positively impacting the lives of women and poor communities. T-Systems was honoured for its continued and committed investment in skills development in rural areas through its Hazyview Digital Learning Centre (HDLC), in Mpumalanga, which particularly benefits women from poor backgrounds, and where women make up 86% of all HDLC non-paying students.

The Women on Executive Committees in Multinationals and Women on Boards categories recognise those organisations that have successfully implemented programmes to shift the statistics in terms of women on their executive committees and/or boards. These companies must have also made successful executive committee and/or board appointments, or have developed a pipeline programme geared towards future appointments.

The T-Systems' Executive Committee is vastly different to that of six years ago, having undergone significant gender constructive changes since then. T-Systems' Board has undergone similar positive changes, now consisting of 67% female representation. Winning the Executive Committee in Multinational award and taking second place in the Women on Boards category highlights T-Systems' dedication to sustaining these developments.

Finally, the Mainstreaming Gender and Disability category acknowledges and rewards organisations that promote economic empowerment through the integration of disabled people into existing or planned sustainable development programmes that will enhance their skills and provide them with employment opportunities. T-Systems has earned its award by creating a strong focus on disabled persons and providing multiple equal opportunities for them within their ICT Academy, an initiative that assists and supports previously disadvantaged individuals to further their education in the field of technology.

Says Adre du Plessis, Vice-President of Strategy and Transformation at T-Systems: "We are very proud to be associated with the well-known and established brands that have been similarly honoured at this event. As a collective, we are all actively invested in seeking change for our country and have the common goal of contributing positively to a nation that embraces diversity on all levels in business."

"As the 2014 Gender Mainstreaming Champion, our awards this year provide testimony to the ongoing sustainability of our transformation programme. Transformation is a key strategic agenda item within our organisation. We take our responsibility seriously and aim to inspire others to be part of a future of inclusive transformation that embraces diversity for a better South Africa."

Deutsche Telekom

Deutsche Telekom is one of the world's leading integrated telecommunications companies with around 151 million mobile customers, 30 million fixed-network lines and more than 17 million broadband lines (as of 31 December 2014). The group provides fixed network, mobile communications, Internet and IPTV products and services for consumers and ICT solutions for business customers and corporate customers. Deutsche Telekom is present in more than 50 countries and has approximately 228 000 employees worldwide. The group generated revenues of EUR 62.7 billion in the 2014 financial year - more than 60% of it outside Germany.

T-Systems

Deutsche Telekom considers the European business customer segment a strategic growth area. Deutsche Telekom offers small, medium-sized and multinational companies ICT solutions for an increasingly complex digital world. In addition to services from the cloud, the range of services is centred on M2M and security solutions, complementary mobile communications and fixed network products, and solutions for virtual collaboration and IT platforms, all of which form the basis for our customers' digital business models.

With approximately 47 800 employees worldwide, T-Systems generated revenue of around EUR8.6 billion in the 2014 financial year.

Since the inception of T-Systems in South Africa in 1997, the company has cemented its position as one of the most successful T-Systems companies outside of Europe. A leading ICT outsourcing service provider locally, T-Systems offers end-to-end ICT solutions in both the ICT operations and systems integration markets. Its extensive portfolio of services covers the vertical, horizontal, IT and TC space. T-Systems South Africa's head office is located in Midrand, with another major office in Cape Town, and 20 further representative offices in locations throughout southern Africa.

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