MINISTER of Social Development Edna Molewa has encouraged businesses to invest in community projects that motivate disadvantaged groups to be self-reliant.

MINISTER of Social Development Edna Molewa has encouraged businesses to invest in community projects that motivate disadvantaged groups to be self-reliant.

Molewa was speaking at the Absa group's first open day for its corporate social investment projects yesterday at the group's headquarters in the Johannesburg CBD.

"The ultimate goal of social development is to engender self-reliance," Mplewa said.

"These projects demon strate what we can achieve when united in purpose to make meaningful and life- changing contributions to the wellbeing, uplifting and development of our communities."

Shop-net, an organisation that supports spaza shop owners in Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng, was one of the exhibitors at the open day.

Absa group chairperson Dave Brink said the company had spent R130million over the past two years on various community projects that look after the needs of vulnerable groups.