Singapore, 21 November 2023 – Singtel was recognised among leading corporations in Asia-Pacific in the 2023 Steward Leadership 25 (SL25) list for demonstrating excellence in bridging the digital divide among vulnerable communities with its digital enablement initiatives. The SL25 list by The Straits Times, Stewardship Asia Centre (SAC), INSEAD Hoffman and WTW celebrates the 25 best initiatives by purpose-driven, for-profit corporations who have made commendable efforts to make a significant positive impact on their stakeholders, society, future generations and the environment.

Singtel’s inclusion in the SL25 list is attributed to its concerted efforts to create tangible and long-lasting sustainable impact through a multi-prong holistic approach involving increased accessibility to technological devices and data, as well as establishing community engagement programmes to impart valuable digital skills and promote online safety and well-being.

Mr Yuen Kuan Moon, Group Chief Executive Officer, Singtel, said, “We’re honoured to receive this recognition. As a homegrown technology company, we’re committed to advancing the well-being and progress of vulnerable segments in our society in line with our purpose to empower every generation. By leveraging our collective resources and expertise, we aim to support those at risk of being digitally left behind by equipping them with the tools and knowledge necessary to enjoy the benefits of a digital lifestyle, while staying safe. We’ll continue to drive positive change in the communities we operate in, to create a better world for future generations to come.”

Some of Singtel’s digital enablement initiatives include:

1. A cyber wellness and digital parenting platform, Help123, that has supported over 10,000 parents and children to learn about cyberbullying and other online safety issues.
2. Singtel Digital Silvers initiative is run by thousands of Singtel staff volunteers who provide one-on-one tutorials to seniors on how to use WhatsApp or Zoom to stay connected, make healthcare appointments online and avoid online threats.
3. Digital literacy workshops for more than 48,000 migrant workers on how they can better protect themselves while online.

For more information on the initiatives, refer to Annex A.

Beyond community engagement initiatives, Singtel’s digital enablement strategy extends to unlocking growth opportunities for technological social impact start-ups, by empowering them with the right mentorship and funding. The Singtel Group Future Makers programme, through which Singtel has invested over $5 million, has helped more than 85 local and regional social impact start-ups’ technological innovations go-to-market, introducing a multitude of new solutions to the healthcare, education, and social sectors. For more information on Singtel Group Future Makers, refer to Annex B.

Announced on 21 November, the 2023 SL25 list is an annual listing jointly curated by SAC, INSEAD Hoffman Global Institute for Business and Society, WTW, and The Straits Times which celebrates the 25 best initiatives by for-profit organisations that demonstrate steward leadership excellence within the Asia-Pacific region. SL25 recognises corporations that have demonstrated strong resolute action to drive sustainable profitable growth while addressing pressing societal or environmental challenges. Initiatives are evaluated based on how they contribute to the corporation's overall purpose and values, contribute to the corporation's business growth, create tangible positive impact, and are innovative relative to others in the same industry. To find out more, visit [Steward Leadership 25].

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ANNEX A: Singtel’s initiatives to improve digital literacy and online safety

• Help123: In collaboration with TOUCH, Singtel set up Help123, a cyber wellness and digital parenting platform, to provide parents with online resources to better protect young ones from online dangers. Since its inception, Singtel has invested over S$1 million into Help123, benefitting more than 10,000 parents and youth the past 2 years. Parents and children who responded to post-workshop surveys found these sessions fun and effective in fostering better understanding and picking up digital skills.
• Singtel Digital Silvers: Run by staff volunteers, the programme has empowered over 7,000 seniors to gain confidence using smartphones and to stay safe online. Introduced during the pandemic, the series of workshops held at Senior Activity Centres all over Singapore helped seniors learn how to make healthcare appointments online, stay connected with friends through video calls and attend video conferences through Zoom for various online events. 65% of those who attended these sessions say they’ve gained more confidence navigating the digital world.
• GOMO Donate Your Data: Through this initiative, GOMO customers donate their unused data to vulnerable seniors. Since the programme launched in 2022, about 7,000 seniors have received free data connections through Singtel’s prepaid hi! Cards with a monthly 3GB data plan, distributed in 13 Senior Activity Centres around Singapore. Singtel aims to scale up to programme to reach 10,000 seniors.
• Empowering migrant workers: In partnership with the Migrant Workers Centre and Centre for Domestic Employees, Singtel has educated more than 48,000 migrant workers on how they can better protect themselves while online. In conjunction with Singapore National Day 2022 celebrations, Singtel also brought the 5G experience to Sungei Tengah Lodge, where 10,000 migrant workers enjoyed a day of games and entertainment powered by 5G.
• Keeping low-income families connected: In partnership with Engineering Good, Singtel encourages customers to donate their laptops and mobiles, which will be refurbished and distributed to low-income families and seniors. The device donation programme has collected 957kg of electronic devices which have been refurbished and donated.
• Scam Call Protect: On a network level, Singtel implements Scam Call Protect, which uses real-time call and AI-assisted SMS content and URL filtering to block scam calls on mobile- and fixed-line networks. The scam prevention service, which is free for all Singtel customers, blocks 30 million scam calls and 20 million scam SMSes every month. The most common SMS scams Singtel block are impersonation scams that mimic that of government agencies and merchants (eg. logistics, delivery and utilities providers) to phish credentials or entice subscribers to download malware.

ANNEX B: Supporting social enterprises through Singtel Group Future Makers

Started in 2016, Singtel Group Future Makers (SGFM) is Singtel’s regional technology accelerator programme, aimed at encouraging technology innovation to address community and social needs. Through the programme, start-ups supported by Singtel and its regional associates are provided with mentorship and coaching sessions with subject matter experts to help them with their business value propositions. Start-ups supported by SGFM will also work with the regional associates to bring their solutions to new markets.

To date, Singtel has invested S$5 million in over 80 local and regional social impact start-ups to build capacity and scale impact. Solutions that have emerged from SGFM include a revolutionary smart cane and smartphone app called WeWalk that enhances the mobility of visually impaired people and an end-to-end healthcare platform called Reach52 that is designed to deliver scalable, data driven health campaigns across low- and middle-income countries.