Shoprite Group customer donations to Solidarity Fund hit R1m

The Shoprite Group has thanked its customers for reaching the R1m mark in funds raised for the Solidarity Fund, and matched customer contributions with another R1m. This brings the total raised for the Solidarity Fund to R3m, including the Group’s initial R1m donation made in March.

According to the company, the R1m raised by customers via the Group’s Act for Change Fund, a till point donation facility, was achieved through big and small donations, with contributions from rural supermarkets reaching unprecedented levels.

“Every contribution counts and we are deeply grateful to each and every one of our customers who made a donation in this time of great need and dwindling resources. By working together, we will overcome this crisis,” commented Pieter Engelbrecht, CEO of the Shoprite Group.

The top three provinces in terms of contributions are the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Cape, while shoppers at Shoprite Middelburg in Mpumalanga made the single biggest contribution to the Fund by consistently donating more than R1,500 per day since 30 March 2020.

Nomkhita Nqweni, chief executive Officer of the Solidarity Fund, said: “The Solidarity Fund is a platform that was created to allow all South Africans from the public and private sectors, civil society, as well as the general public, to contribute to one consolidated effort in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic.”

“As an independent and agile organisation, we have been able to make and activate meaningful interventions to support and augment those provided by the state and other organs of society in a very short space of time. The efforts of all the Shoprite, Checkers and USave shoppers who elected to make donations will ensure we can continue to make a difference in our communities and protect our frontline emergency workers,” she added.

Donations are only added on at the request of customers. Anyone who would still like to donate to the Act For Change Fund, can do so at the till point in any Shoprite, Checkers or Usave store the next time they do their grocery shopping.

The Group manages the Fund on behalf of its customers and pays all the money received over to the beneficiaries which at the moment is the Solidarity Fund. There are no administrative costs.

In addition to its support for the Solidarity Fund, the Shoprite Group has also donated surplus food to the value of R9m to 233 registered non-governmental organisations since the start of the lockdown.