Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Metropolitan Holdings Limited is a life insurance and investment company with a well-recognised brand, operating in a competitive environment. The Metropolitan Doyle model that the company developed in the 1980s was the first of its kind and is used to predict the course and impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Metropolitan has since been actively engaged in developing insurance products, designed to take HIV/AIDS into account. It has, moreover been active in advocating action on a wide range of issue relating to the disease, not least through its RedRibbon website, the publication of the respected journal, AIDS Analysis Africa, and through various community initiatives, particularly involving HIV/AIDS education. The company’s external work on the issue of HIV/AIDS is therefore well recognised. Although it has had an internal programme for several years, it has only seriously addressed the HIV/AIDS in the workplace since 2003 and in so doing, has not found the necessity of using any existing models of best practice. This case study examines the guidelines of a comprehensive HIV/AIDS programme, as set out by the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, with a view to finding out whether and to what extent a company such as Metropolitan might have implemented its recommendations and what impact it might have in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the workplace. The case study further examines the likely impact of the King II recommendations relating to the disclosure requirements on HIV/AIDS (in conjunction with the Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines) with a view to assessing whether these can enable a company such as Metropolitan, to have regard to the impact of the disease on the sustainability of their business and the steps that might be taken to mitigate the impact. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Metropolitan Holdings Beperk is ‘n lewensversekerings – en beleggingsmaatskappy, met ‘n alombekende handelsmerk, wat in ‘n kompeterende omgewing funksioneer. Die Metropolitan-Doyle model wat deur die maatskappy in die 1980’s ontwikkel is, was die eerste in sy soort, en word gebruik om die verloop en impak van die MIV/VIGS pandemie te voorspel. Metropolitan is sedertdien aktief betrokke in die ontwikkeling van versekeringsprodukte, was spesifiek ook MIV/VIGS as oogmerk het. Die maatskappy is boonop besig om betrokkenheid oor ‘n wye spektrum van uitkomste verwant aan die siekte te propageer, veral deur die RedRibbonwebtuiste, die publikasie van die hoogaangeskrewe joernaal, AIDS Analysis Africa, en deur verskeie gemeenskapsinisiatiewe wat spesifiek die opvoeding aangaande MIV/VIGS insluit. Die maatskappy se eksterne werk op die aangeleentheid van MIV/VIGS word dus wyd erken. Alhoewel dit ook al verskeie jare oor ‘n interne program beskik, is dit eers sedert 2003 dat MIV/VIGS in die werkplek ernstig aangespreek word. Deur dit so te doen, is daar nie die nodigheid gesien om enige bestaande modelle wat die beste werk, te gebruik nie. Hierdie gevallestudie ondersoek die riglyne van ‘n omvattende MIV/VIGS program, soos uiteengesit deur die Global Business Coalition oor MIV/VIGS, met die oogmerk om uit te vind tot watter mate ‘n maatskappy soos Metropolitan sy aanbevelings mag implementeer en watter impak dit mag hê op die bestryding van MIV/VIGS in die werkplek. Die gevallestudie ondersoek verder die waarskynlike impak van die King IIaanbevelings rakende die openbaarmakende vereistes oor MIV/VIGS (in samehang met die Global Reporting Initiative Riglyne) met die oogmerk om te bepaal of bogenoemde ‘n maatskappy soos Metropolitan in staat kan stel om geleentheid te hê tot die impak van die siekte op die volhoubaarheid van hul besigheid en die stappe wat geneem mag word om die impak te beheer.