A Consideration of The Role of The Company in Contemporary South African Society and The Traditional Concept of Directors Duties

Darryl Jago, Legal Advisor, Total South Africa (Pty) Ltd, South Africa

Corporate South Africa has become entrenched in a plethora of tag lines such as “social responsibility”, “corporate social investment” and the “triple bottom line” in an apparent effort to “give back” to the community and thereby enhance its perceived image. The aforementioned phenomenon gives rise to an interesting question – to what extent must directors take cognizance of the interests of, inter alia, employees, the community, and the environment (“Broader Stakeholders”) when managing the affairs of the company?

Darryl Jago is a legal advisor at a multi-national energy company by day and avid postgraduate student by night. After completing his law degree, Darryl spent a year working as a teaching intern at an elite private school only to uncover that his true pa

Total South Africa was established in 1954 and is 50.1% owned by multi-national Paris-based Company, Total Group. Total South Africa is a significant role player within the Total Group. Through its global alignment, Total South Africa strives to ensure