Empowering Change: How Platcorp Uses Data to Drive Real-World Impact in Gender and Inclusion
At Platcorp, we know that true progress isn't just about numbers, it's about the real-world impact those numbers represent. Our unwavering commitment to gender equality and social inclusion is both within our organisation and across the communities we serve. As we build a more equitable future for Africa, we're proud to share how we're driving meaningful change for our employees, clients, and partners.
Building an Inclusive Foundation Internally
Our team is the heart of Platcorp, and diversity fuels our innovation. With 56% of our full-time employees being women and 81% of our staff under 35, we're fostering a dynamic workforce that reflects the vibrancy of the continent. We're intentionally investing in leadership development through programs like ‘Amalgam Leadership’, 'Potential Life' and 'Lead Me', resulting in 46% female Managing Directors and 29% female representation on our boards. We've identified 34% of our female staff for key leadership roles, creating a strong pipeline for the future.
Transparency is key to our progress, as we openly acknowledge our 24.59% unadjusted gender wage gap. We are actively addressing it through rigorous reviews and the implementation of equitable policies. In 2024, we launched our comprehensive Gender Action Plan (2024–2028), informed by a self-assessment across all subsidiaries, evaluating our practices against the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), the 2X Challenge Criteria, and international guidelines on Safeguarding against Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). As a qualified 2X Challenge company, this assessment rigorously measured our performance against global benchmarks for empowering women as entrepreneurs, business leaders, and employees. The resulting Gender Action Plan focuses on deepening equity in hiring, enhancing workplace safety, and embedding inclusion into our culture, ensuring every voice is heard and valued.
Extending Impact to Clients and Communities
Our commitment extends to empowering underserved markets with accessible financial tools. Among our active clients, 38% are women, 28% are youth, 49% are rural, and 32% are MSMEs. For MSME clients specifically, 62% are female-led and 27% are youth-owned. Our independent agents are equally diverse, with 60% women and 73% youth.
On the ground, initiatives like our Viazi (Potatoes) Project have benefited 51% women farmers, while our agricultural training programs reached 35% female and 38% youth participants. We've also achieved Client Protection Certification across seven subsidiaries, safeguarding those we serve and promoting transparent, supportive products that help entrepreneurs build businesses, farmers adopt climate-resilient techniques, and families secure brighter futures.
Looking Ahead: A Catalyst for Equitable Progress
These achievements are stories of transformation. From channelling capital to rural women entrepreneurs to engaging our young workforce in youth empowerment initiatives, Platcorp is committed to being a force for inclusive finance. Our Gender Action Plan guides us toward even greater equity, ensuring finance becomes the ultimate enabler of growth for all.
We're grateful to our incredible team, clients, and stakeholders for joining us on this journey. Let's continue driving change together because when everyone thrives, Africa thrives.
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