Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Directorate
[RESILIENCE, CONTINUITY AND SUSTAINABILITY: ESG SERVICES]
The globe is increasingly volatile, interconnected, and complex. The university considers various options, pathways, and sustainably smarter and cost-effective ways to respond to all forms of disruptive scenarios: incidents and events, and manage negative, downside risks and take advantage of opportunities in the course of business.
The Directorate: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery is the process architect and lead facilitator in the development, consultation, approval, implementation, and review of resilience, continuity and sustainability initiatives at the university. The role of the Directorate is to ensure that the university and its internal and external stakeholders respond to all forms of disruptive scenarios in a calm, effective and efficient manner to protect life, property, operations, the environment, and reputation.
Contact Details
Dr. Rueben Chibvongodze, CIA, CRMA, CFE, CISA, CRISC, CISM, CBCI, MBCI, CRMP [IRMSA], Fellow [IIASA], MCom Financial Risk Management, Cum Laude [UNISA], PhD Financial Risk Management [UNISA]
Director: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery [Resilience, Continuity & Sustainability: ESG Services]
Microsoft Teams Call
Vision Statement
The Vision of CPUT is to be Africa’s leading Smart University of Technology, globally renowned for cutting edge innovation with graduates that shape a better world for humanity.
In the same light, the CPUT BCM Vision Statement is to position CPUT as a leading resilience intelligent university with both local and global relevance and impact renowned for excellence in business continuity management, including disaster recovery and smart sustainable development practices.
Mission Statement
The Mission of CPUT is to transform its students through world-class researchers who inspire knowledge production and innovation that is cutting-edge.
Similarly, the Mission of CPUT BCM services is to inculcate a continuous improvement and matured resilience culture across the entire spectrum of internal and external stakeholders utilising leading practice, automated tools, techniques and practices within the confines of the Council approved risk appetite and tolerance level limits.
CPUT Resilience and Continuity Environment
CPUT Resilience and Continuity Operating Architecture
The university’s resilience and continuity methodology and operating architecture is informed by emerging, leading, next practices such as the Disaster Recovery Institute International’s Professional Practices, USA (2023), and the Business Continuity Institute’s Good Practice Guidelines, 7th Edition, UK (2023).
Business Continuity Institute’s Good Practice Guidelines, 7th Edition, UK (2023)
Sustainability: Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
CPUT’s Sustainable Development Approach
The university follows good sustainability governance- management guidance, and aligns with emerging, leading, next practices such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), United Nations’ International Panel on Climate Change (UN IPCC), International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRIS), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Internation Corporate Governance Network (ICGN), Corporate Social Responsibility Directive (CSRD), European Union Sustainability and Climate Directives, Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Directives (TCFD), Task Force on Nature-Related Financial Directives (TNFD), and EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (EU DORA), The South African National Development Plan (NDP 2030), and the One Cape 2040.
CPUT Sustainability Management documents
- Business Continuity and Sustainability Management Policy (approved by Council on 22 Nov 2025)
- Business Continuity and Sustainability Management Procedure (approved by Council on 22 Nov 2025)
- Sustainable Development Strategy (approved by Council during 2024)
- CPUT Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework (approved by Council during 2024)
- CPUT Dynamic, Double Materiality Assessment/s (approved by Council on 14 March 2026)
- Strategic, Tactical, and Operational Sustainability Roadmaps (2030, 2040, 2050, and beyond)
- ESG Project Plans
- CPUT Vision 2030 Business Resilience Strategy and Implementation (approved by Council on 5 September 2026)
- Terms of Reference Institutional Business Continuity and Sustainability (IBCSF), first approved during 2024, and progressively
Pillars of the Sustainable Development Strategy
The strategy is organised around six pillars, thus:
- Energy Management
- Water Management
- Waste Management
- Biodiversity Stewardship
- Food Security, and
- Community Development
The CPUT Sustainable Development Strategy also gives effect to the creation BCM Clusters which include, but not limited to:
- Health
- Climate Change and Sustainability
- Energy and Infrastructure
- Technology
- Finance
- Civil Disobedience (minor and major Disruptive Events)
- Staff and Travel
- Reputation (Demonstrated Integrity, Truthfulness, Consistency and Professional Excellence and Competence)
Operationalisation of Sustainability: ESG initiatives across the university
Institutional Business Continuity and Sustainability Forum (IBCSF)
The university has a well-established Institutional Business Continuity and Sustainability Forum (IBCSF) with approved terms of reference. The Executive Director: Office of the Vice Chancellor and Principal provides executive sponsorship and oversight to the forum. The Director Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery operationally chairs the forum. The standard number of meetings per year is four, excluding extraordinary sessions. The minutes of the meetings are reported to the Quality Assurance and Risk Management Committee (QARM), Audit and Risk Oversight Committee (AROC), Information Technology Governance Committee (ITGC), Governance and Ethics Committee (GEC) and the Physical Planning Committee of Council.
BCM and Sustainability ESG Champions
The university leverages on appointed BCM and Sustainability ESG Champions to operationalise the Executive Management and Council approved resilience policies, procedures, strategies, frameworks, project plans and initiatives, across the university, via the IBCSF.