Over two billion people choose a Unilever product globally on any given day, from feeding their family to keeping their homes clean and fresh. Their brands have been part of everyday life in South Africa for more than a century.

Throughout their history, Unilever has been a purpose-driven company and this spirit has shone through in every step of their journey.

It all started back in 1887, when William Lever, the founder of Lever Brothers, registered the Sunlight trademark in South Africa (SA). Undaunted by a crippling drought that prevailed on his first visit, and an as-yet undeveloped economy, Lever saw a manufacturing future for the country and it wasn’t long before the company set up its first South African factory at Maydon Wharf in Durban in 1911.

Purpose, values & principles

Their Corporate Purpose states that to succeed requires "the highest standards of corporate behaviour towards everyone they work with, the communities they touch, and the environment on which they have an impact."

Always working with integrity

Conducting their operations with integrity and with respect for the many people, organisations and environments their business touches has always been at the heart of their corporate responsibility.

Positive impact

They aim to make a positive impact in many ways: through their brands, their commercial operations and relationships, through voluntary contributions, and through the various other ways in which they engage with society.

Continuous commitment

They're also committed to continuously improving the way they manage their environmental impacts and are working towards their longer-term goal of developing a sustainable business.

Setting out their aspirations

Their Corporate Purpose sets out their aspirations in running their business. It's underpinned by their Code of Business Principles which describes the operational standards that everyone at Unilever follows, wherever they are in the world. The Code also supports their approach to governance and corporate responsibility.

Working with others

They want to work with suppliers who have values similar to their own and work to the same standards they do. Their Supplier Code, aligned to their own Code of Business Principles, comprises eleven principles covering business integrity and responsibilities relating to employees, consumers and the environment.