Integrated Reporting

The South African Experience

Leigh Georgia Roberts, CA(SA)

Few countries can claim that integrated reporting (IR) is common among domestic companies. An exception is South Africa, with many listed and public organizations having produced integrated reports for over six years. The emergence of IR as the dominant form of corporate reporting in South Africa has produced a significant number of internal and external benefits for the companies that have adopted it. One of the most beneficial is the improvement in internal integration and management; companies now have a better understanding of business value drivers, a more thorough risk analysis, improved strategic resource plans, and reduced departmental and functional siloing. It is a testament to South Africa's focus on corporate reporting that it was—for the seventh consecutive year—ranked number one in the world in auditing and reporting standards in the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report 2016/17.