By Lindo Khuzwayo, Sustainability Principal, Anglo American South Africa – Member of the B20 Integrity & Compliance Task Force
Integrity may not make headlines like energy or food security, but it is every bit as fundamental to building resilient, inclusive economies. Without trust in institutions, transparent decision making and accountability in how business and government operate, even the best development policies will fall short. That’s why the B20 Integrity & Compliance Task Force is so vital, because sound governance is the foundation on which investment, growth and societal progress are built.
For me, this work sits at the intersection of law, society and sustainability. My journey began as an attorney, where I saw first-hand how legal frameworks shape people’s lives – and how quickly they fail when integrity is absent. This task force is not about compliance for its own sake. It’s about how strong governance enables inclusion, attracts investment and builds environments where economies and communities thrive.
The B20’s agenda is practical and action-oriented. It focuses on strengthening anti-corruption measures through collective action and public–private collaboration. It seeks to improve integrity and compliance frameworks across jurisdictions, from sustainability disclosures to ethical governance standards. And it explores how technology, from AI to blockchain, can improve risk detection, enable secure whistleblowing and make compliance more effective.
For South Africa, this is more than a policy discussion. It’s a chance to shape global governance conversations from an African perspective. Anglo American has been part of the country’s social and economic evolution for over a century, and we know that business cannot remain a bystander. We must bring our expertise to the table, influence the solutions that shape our operating environment, and help build systems that deliver impact for communities.
It’s also about context. Global solutions must be locally relevant to succeed, and industry input ensures policies are realistic and fit for purpose. Misconceptions about sectors like mining or finance can lead to regulations that don’t reflect real-world conditions. The B20 process helps correct those assumptions and craft recommendations that are tailored and impactful.
Across Africa, there’s a growing determination to define our own priorities, from how we beneficiate minerals to how we approach responsible sourcing. The B20 amplifies that voice, positioning Africa not as a passive participant in global systems, but as an active shaper of them.
What I value most about this Task Force is its emphasis on outcomes we can actually measure. Our recommendations include clear milestones and indicators so that progress can be tracked – because integrity can’t stay an aspiration. It has to show up in the way systems work and in the trust people place in them. That principle guides how we operate at Anglo American too. Each year, we publish an Integrated Annual Report and Sustainability Report that lay out, in detail, how we govern our business, how we meet global reporting standards like the GRI, and how we participate in initiatives such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). For us, transparency is more than compliance; it’s how we hold ourselves accountable and how we build confidence among the people and partners we work with.
Ultimately, integrity must become a shared responsibility. It cannot sit solely with compliance officers or legal teams. It should shape how government departments operate, how business decisions are made and how employees approach their work. And we must move beyond treating compliance as a box-ticking exercise. Done well, it drives value – attracting investment, fostering fair competition and strengthening confidence in institutions.
This is why Anglo American is deeply engaged in the B20. We bring industry expertise, policy insight and convening power to help design governance systems that are sound and impactful. And through this work, we aim to bridge the “say–do gap” – ensuring that what is promised is delivered, and that integrity becomes a lived reality.
Integrity and compliance might not be the most visible elements of sustainable development, but they underpin everything else. They build trust. They enable growth. And they create the conditions for inclusive development that leaves no one behind.