Deloitte creates an enduring impact on businesses and communities across East Africa

In May 2024, Deloitte East Africa joined other 7,000 employees across Africa to offer their time and expertise to transfer skills, uplift communities, and create a chain of impact.

Deloitte aspires to impact 100 million people worldwide with Deloitte Africa focusing on uplifting 14 million lives across the continent by 2030.

In May, Deloitte East Africa joined 7,000 employees across Africa for Volunteer Day 2024, marking the second year employees across 14 African countries stepped out of their offices to make a measurable impact in the community by offering their time and expertise to transfer skills, uplift communities, and create a chain of impact. 

According to the Deloitte 2023 Global Impact Report, Deloitte has committed to investing more than $3 billion in societal impact initiatives worldwide over the next 10 years. In FY23, the report indicated an investment of $337 million in donations, volunteer hours, pro bono work, and management costs. During the same period, Deloitte Africa highlighted that the Africa firm had invested over $2 million and more than 40,000 volunteer hours. 

Deloitte’s purpose-led culture emphasises responsible business. Speaking to The East African newspaper in a recent interview, the Deloitte East Africa Chief Executive Officer, Anne Muraya, noted the importance of setting aside a dedicated day to leverage the extensive skills and knowledge of Deloitte’s people. “We could give cash, and still do for certain things, but the real value we give is in our services. On this day, we stop working and volunteer, offering our time, services, and skills, in essence, for free for that day to people who wouldn't ordinarily afford them. That is how we make an impact.” 

Deloitte East Africa CEO Anne Muraya commemorates Earth Month (April) by planting trees.

Micro, Small and Medium-Sized enterprises (MSMEs) are Kenya's economic backbone, comprising the majority (over 90%) of all business entities, registered and non-registered, in the country. Reiterating the role of entrepreneurship, Ms Muraya emphasised Deloitte’s dedication to bolstering the economy, noting the importance of MSMEs in fueling economic growth and generating employment opportunities, creating a ripple effect that benefits society at large.

For example, Jenga na Deloitte is a year-round initiative designed to support entrepreneurs in East Africa; it provides a platform to offer a broader scope of guidance to upskill their businesses and attract the investments needed to accelerate growth.

Jenga na Deloitte has provided opportunities to collaborate with organisations that are doing incredible work in the MSME ecosystem. "Many entrepreneurs have great ideas, but some have not registered their businesses. We help them understand that growth can be challenging without handling the basics. For example, without proper bookkeeping, they might not realise if they are making profit. It may seem like money is constantly flowing in cash businesses, but they might be exchanging cash without actual profit. We can help them operationalise these concepts," she noted.

In addition to helping clients develop and implement successful Environmental, Social, & Governance (ESG) strategies, Deloitte actively engages and champions sustainability efforts through environmental initiatives. Deloitte drives responsible climate choices within the organisation and beyond; it recognises that change starts within, empowering its professionals and engaging the broader ecosystem to create solutions that facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy.

In East Africa, tree-growing is a key initiative that commemorates Earth Month. This year, Deloitte staff came together in a significant way; Malawi distributed 16,000 seedlings from their nursery; Uganda planted 1,500 trees across four schools; Tanzania planted 4,100 trees in collaboration with the Tanzania Forest Service; Kenya planted 2,000 trees at Kinale Forest and 300 fruit trees at SOS Children’s Village in Nairobi. Deloitte East Africa has planted a total of 35,700 trees across various countries in the region. 

Deloitte’s involvement in social impact has recently extended to athletics. The newly launched partnership with the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) aims to propel the evolution of the Olympic movement in Kenya. With Kenya’s history of over 60 years of Olympic participation and success, this “partnership with purpose” aims to extend the impact of sports beyond the field of play. As a Worldwide Olympic Partner through to 2032, Deloitte will lend its in-depth management and business consulting expertise to support NOC-K in fulfilling its role as an umbrella sports organisation. 

Additionally, the partnership will allow Deloitte to offer financial literacy classes to athletes. “Many athletes receive substantial earnings, yet some lack the financial knowledge to manage them effectively, leading to potential mismanagement or loss of funds. We aspire to provide athletes with the same level of support and guidance that we offer entrepreneurs, helping them effectively manage their finances, make informed decisions, and safeguard their assets. It is essential to protect and empower these individuals, whom I consider to be our national treasures,” observed Ms Muraya.

Deloitte aims to create an enduring impact across Africa and enhance its position as a trusted global partner. It focuses on developing key markets, creating fulfilling experiences for its people, and being a socially accountable business. 

About Deloitte East Africa

Deloitte East Africa provides seamless cross-border services to multinationals, large national enterprises, small and medium sized enterprises and the public sector; with offices in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, and in the process of expanding our operations by re-opening an office in Ethiopia.

Deloitte in East Africa has been in existence for over 115 years and remains committed to the region. Deloitte provides audit and assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, and tax and legal services to public and private clients in multiple industries.