Corporate Social Responsibility as a Stimulant for Community Development Insights from Selected Communities in Uitenhage, South Africa

Abstract

The continued faltering of global South governments to entrench community development has resulted in the clamour for alternative development paths. Corporates are seen as being well-suited to deliver the development needs of communities in the developing world through the agency of corporate social responsibility. This study sought to elicit stakeholders' perceptions of the role of corporates in engendering community development. To achieve this, the study relied on a qualitative research approach, which enabled the researcher to collect data from community members and selected officials using focus group discussions and interviews. The study's findings revealed three main aspects of stakeholders' perceptions: that corporates have a role in emancipating previously disadvantaged communities, that corporates have to provide basic needs, and that corporates must deliver self-sufficiency in the communities where they operate. The study concluded that corporates can engender community development, mainly because corporates possess potent wealth with which community development can be financed. The study, therefore, recommends, among other things, that the current regulatory framework in South Africa be strengthened to deliver the communities' expectations towards corporates.