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This paper aims to provide an overview of corporate social responsibility (CSR) from an Islamic perspective. The discussion includes an overview on aspects such as CSR activities, CSR and the environment, CSR and marketing, CSR and stakeholders, CSR benefits and challenges and CSR research conducted in various countries. The research is based on a narrative review, considering selected literature relevant to the topic. In general, the study concludes that engaging in CSR does not violate the Sharia, however, there are numerous challenges in implementing and reporting on the impact of CSR activities. Thus, more studies of an empirical nature are needed to understand CSR in the context of the Islamic financial system.

The study examined the sensitivity analysis of the impact of Covid-19 on Corporate Sustainability and Company Performance of South African listed companies. The study employed secondary data retrieved from the annual reports of the selected companies. Stakeholder Theory and the Traditional Theory of Economics and Finance from the theoretical foundation of this study. Data retrieved from 40 companies for the period 2010 -2021 was analyzed using panel fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) methods, representing all sectors with the help of a convenience sampling method. Findings revealed a strong relationship between corporate sustainability performance and company performance with other explanatory variables. This study also implied that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was so sensitive on South African companies and companies must pay strong attention to recovery strategies suggested to reduce the severity of the impact on them and ensure a quick recovery.

This study investigated the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It examined the extent to which SMEs can engage in CSR to achieve larger sizes. A purposive study selected three large corporates that started as SMEs and grew to become large corporates through CSR. Interviews with managers leading CSR in these corporates revealed that CSR can be a key driver of growth, leading to larger sizes. The study concludes that CSR can be effectively used by SMEs to enhance their growth, potentially even to multinational enterprise levels. Recommendations include training employees in CSR knowledge, integrating CSR into business operations, prioritizing CSR initiatives, exposing management to CSR, and incorporating CSR into the mission for strategic status.

Climate change is increasingly recognised as a significant threat to economic development. As efforts to transition to a low-carbon economy continue to intensify, there is a growing realisation among proponents of sustainable development that public sector organisations need to disclose climate risks and opportunities associated with their operations.  Climate risk disclosures in the public sector offer countries unique insights and opportunities to pursue a sustainable path toward a low-carbon economy. Although there are many studies on climate-risk disclosures in the private sector, studies on the public sector are scarce. A systematic review of academic and grey literature was used to analyse the potential of adapting the TCFD framework to the public sector of South Africa. The study found that the TCFD recommendations provide a globally standardised approach to climate risk disclosure, allowing comprehensive reporting and comparison of climate-related information between sectors and entities to promote climate resilience and transition to a green economy. To effectively implement the recommendations of the TCFD in the public sector of South Africa, improved capacity building, strong legal and institutional frameworks, bold multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral approaches, adequate budget support and strong advocacy and communication efforts are needed. The study will be important to the IPSASB and other stakeholders to develop sustainability reporting standards for the public sector, as well as promote climate risk disclosures by government entities. 

The study's objective is to examine the impact of ESG investing on the stock performance of financial service providers in South Africa (SA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has significant ramifications for the usefulness of ESG investing during a crisis period. To this end, the study employs the panel nonlinear autoregressive distributed lags (PNARDL). The study finds that ESG investing had a significant impact on stock performance. The error term in the PNARDL reveals that the share price of financial service providers in SA was significantly affected by ESG investing. The PNARDL shows that, on average, a 1 percent increase in ESG investing increased stock price returns by 5 percent, cetiris paribus. This crucial finding has significant implications. It implies that ESG was another significant resilience factor behind the stock performance of financial service providers. Moreover, the PNARDL found that reducing ESG investing negatively affected stock price returns, while increasing ESG investing positively affected stock price returns during COVID-19. Hence, the study recommends that financial service providers increase ESG investing during a crisis period.

The study examines how environmental sustainability reporting influences the performance of listed construction firms in Zimbabwe. The study responds to a notable research gap in developing economies, particularly within the construction sector, where limited qualitative evidence exists on how managers perceive the relationship between environmental corporate sustainability practices and organisational performance. While prior studies have largely focused on quantitative approaches in developed contexts, this paper adopts a qualitative perspective to generate context-specific insights. Guided by the interpretivist philosophy and informed by Signalling Theory and Legitimacy Theory, the study employed a qualitative research design using purposive sampling. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, and document analysis of sustainability reports from selected firms listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange. The data were analysed through thematic and content analysis to identify recurring patterns and perceptions. The findings indicate that environmental sustainability reporting is generally perceived to enhance firm performance through improved corporate reputation, stronger stakeholder confidence, regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, waste reduction, and better resource management. Key environmental practices identified include environmental management systems, recycling and reuse initiatives, pollution control measures, land rehabilitation, and water conservation strategies. However, the study also found that firms face constraints such as resource limitations, economic instability, and uneven regulatory enforcement, which may hinder the full benefits of environmental sustainability initiatives. The paper concludes that the environmental dimension of corporate sustainability reporting can contribute positively to organisational performance when supported by effective implementation and strategic commitment. It recommends that listed firms strengthen environmental governance systems, integrate sustainability into core business strategy, invest in cleaner technologies, and improve disclosure quality. Policymakers are encouraged to enhance regulatory support and industry guidance for sustainability reporting. Future research may extend this inquiry to other sectors, compare listed and non-listed firms, and explore longitudinal changes in sustainability reporting practices across emerging markets.

This study examines the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices on corporate financial performance in Zimbabwe's mining sector using a case study of Zimplats Holdings Limited. The main aim was to determine whether and to what extent ESG practices contribute to financial outcomes at the firm level. The objective of the study was to examine the overall ESG and financial performance relationship, to analyse the effects of individual ESG dimensions on financial performance, and to assess the moderating role of firm-specific factors on ESG practices. Informed by the stakeholder theory, the resource-based view, and legitimacy theory, a quantitative approach was adopted, using secondary data extracted from Zimplats' Integrated Annual Reports (2023–2025) through a structured data extraction template aligned with GRI standards. Key findings reveal a positive but lagged ESG and financial performance relationship. Governance emerged as the most stable and financially material ESG pillar, while environmental and social investments showed transitional efficiency deterioration before expected long-term gains. Firm-specific factors such as asset expansion, capital structure, production volume, and multinational ownership, significantly moderated the timing and magnitude of financial returns, compressing short-term profitability indicators such as return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). The study contributes firm-level empirical evidence on unlisted Zimbabwean mining firms, extending ESG theory to emerging market contexts. Recommendations include targeting governance enhancements for immediate financial returns, allowing longer investment horizons for environmental and social initiatives, and maintaining conservative capital structures to sustain ESG investment during earnings volatility.

This study examines how environmental, social, and governance malpractices manifest as selective disclosure and weak assurance, enabling greenwashing across corporations in sub–Saharan Africa, and delineates governance and policy levers to curb these behaviors. Following integrative review standards, the study screens Scopus and Web of Science outputs and synthesizes 22 peer-reviewed studies published between 2014 and 2024 using a transparent PRISMA-informed pipeline and thematic coding to ensure replicability and analytic depth. The evidence shows that greenwashing is driven by regulatory gaps, voluntary compliance regimes, and narrative heavy self-reporting, while quality of integrated reporting is unevenly translated into real performance, signalling persistent decoupling between disclosure and outcomes; the preponderance of studies identifies governance weaknesses and selective disclosures as recurrent enablers across sectors including certification schemes and the built environment, corroborating the dominance of symbolic over substantive implementation in many African settings. The review argues for stronger ESG legislation, independent third-party auditing, and digital monitoring tools to restore investor confidence, protect public trust, and align corporate behaviour with the Sustainable Development Goals in sub-Saharan Africa

This study explored the relationship between consumerism, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and ethical performance in Zimbabwe through a survey analysis. The research explored the differences in consumerism between developed and less developed countries and identified various influence consumerism, including economic situation, level of consumer education and awareness, and cultural considerations. The concept of consumerism was familiar to Zimbabwean consumers, but they lacked a comprehensive understanding of how it could be used to hold businesses accountable. Consumerism is in its infancy in Zimbabwe, and citizens lack awareness of their rights and obligations. This research relied on the understanding and perceptions of consumers to examine the relationship between consumerism, CSR, and ethical performance in Zimbabwe, as well as the effects of consumer activism on corporate behaviour. The data for this exploratory study was collected and analysed using qualitative methodologies from a representative sample of 200 Zimbabwean consumers chosen at random. The collected questionnaires were carefully analysed and structured to identify themes and key differences, providing a holistic understanding of the study. The findings indicated that consumers in Zimbabwe prioritise price, brand, quality, and country of origin over CSR and the ethical performance of organisations. This suggests that businesses in Zimbabwe have little incentive to prioritise CSR and ethical behaviour unless it aligns with the demands of consumers. The research highlighted the need for more education and awareness-raising efforts around CSR and ethical business practices in Zimbabwe. Overall, the study underscored the importance of consumerism and its impact on corporate social responsibility and ethical performance in Zimbabwe.  

The study sought to investigate the factors influencing environmental reporting in developing countries. This has been necessited by the inconsistances and non compliant to regulations and laws of environmental reporting among the developing countries. Through examining the factors that influence environmental reporting the study hope to establish context based solutions to the challenge of environmental reporting. The study used a quantitative research method and factor analysis to establish the factors influencing environmental reporting. It was discovered that there are seven key factors influencing environmental reporting among Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. These factors are: regulatory drivers, risk management drivers, market drivers, management influence drivers, strategic communication drivers, value creation drivers and legitimacy drivers. The study also revealed that there are several sub-factors that influencing environmental reporting under each key factor identified. The study concluded that environmental reporting influenced by the seven key factors. The study recommends that SADC sought for in-depth understanding of factors influencing environmental reporting. This is because understanding of the factors affecting environmental reporting is essential for the formulation and reporting that that satisfies stakeholders' requirements.