What does it truly mean to invest in communities—not for visibility, but for impact?

In this episode, I’m joined by Lunga Schoeman CSI Programmes Manager at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). Our conversation moves beyond the language of strategy decks and ESG reports, into what it really takes to create meaningful, measurable change—especially in underserved communities.

We speak about DBSA’s commitment to eradicating unsafe sanitation in rural schools through its partnership with Breadline Africa an initiative set to replace over 200 pit toilets across four provinces. But the conversation goes deeper than infrastructure.

Lunga offers powerful reflections on how corporates can move beyond performative impact by recentering community voices at the heart of decision-making. He unpacks what equitable partnerships between NGOs and the private sector should look like in practice—and where many fall short. We also discuss how corporate social investment is shifting across South Africa, and what true innovation in this space requires. At the core of his insights is a clear message: accountability—not charity—is what defines responsible business in today’s world.

This is a conversation about rethinking what it means to build—and who we’re building for.