Sanlam donates $2.3 million to support the fight against COVID-I9 pandemic in Africa
Sanlam is donating US$2.3 million to support various initiatives to fight against the spread of the Coronavirus in all the markets that mirrors its business footprint both in Africa and other international markets where it operates.
There are over 11 000 reported cases of Coronavirus infections in Africa, and over 500 COVID-19 related deaths reported (source: WHO). The funds are aimed at assisting efforts in ‘flattening the curve’ and to support various initiatives to combat the spread and the impact of the virus and will be used for personal protective equipment (PPEs), contributions to national solidarity funds, food relief and to assist schools with e-learning.
Commenting on the donation, SEM CEO, Mr Heinie Werth said each of the 32 countries in Africa as well as other markets Sanlam operates in will be allocated funds for use at the discretion of Sanlam subsidiaries and associate companies in those countries to support initiatives to fight the Coronavirus. We believe this effort will contribute not only towards the fight against the Coronavirus, but also towards securing a sustainable future for all the communities where we do business across the continent. In addition, the country operations may contribute additional funds from their respective businesses to relief efforts.
''The scale and impact of this pandemic on both Africa’s people and economies can be dire, but if we act in solidarity and collectively, we can contribute to the ongoing efforts to attenuate the impact of COVID-19,'' said Mr Werth.
''As a leading pan-African financial services company with a rich history of ‘doing well by doing good’ and good corporate citizenship, we are proactively taking responsibility to support the countries in which we operate to fight COVID-19. We believe that such an unprecedented time of uncertainty as we are now in calls for us to act in order to contain the impact of this scourge. We are confident that our contribution, along with those of like-minded corporates and other donors, will go a long way towards flattening the curve of this virus in Africa and elsewhere'', he said.
