In recent years, the priorities of large corporations have been evolving, with a growing focus on sustainability alongside traditional financial performance. One interesting way to explore this shift is by looking at the frequency of terms like “profit” and “sustainability” in the annual reports of JSE Top 40 companies over time. By counting how often these words appear each year, we can gain insight into how South Africa’s leading firms are balancing financial goals with environmental and social responsibilities. We also normalise the frequency of these words to account for variations in the length of annual reports. We observe an increase in mentions of ‘sustainability’ and a decline in the frequency of mentions of ‘profit’, highlighting a fundamental shift in how South Africa’s leading companies view their purpose and responsibilities.
Compiled by Johan Hanekom
