Sappi steps up to help curb the spread of Covid-19

There are a number of communities in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga which fall into this category that have been hard hit by shortages of food and personal protective equipment (PPE) during this time.

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These shortages and the pressure on government to provide access to hand sanitisers, face masks and food parcels to the hardest hit communities, has seen corporates such as Sappi getting on board in their efforts to make a meaningful contribution to flattening the curve.

According to Elsabé Coetzee, regional communications manager at Sappi, it is digging deep to make these resources available to the most vulnerable communities.

“In an effort to provide some relief during the Covid-19 coronavirus global pandemic, Sappi Southern Africa has made available several donations of scarce items such as hand sanitiser, face masks, nutritional porridge and paper products, to reduce pressure on national government’s resources as well as to support the most vulnerable during these extraordinary times,” she said.

Sappi has partnered with a Johannesburg-based company to produce 16 000 litres of hand sanitiser after developing a prototype at its Pretoria research facility. This has been distributed to more than 80 community clinics in both provinces and healthcare facilities as well as its employees and their families.

In addressing the shortage of PPE for health practitioners, Sappi has procured 15 000 surgical masks for use in clinics, to allow health practitioners to perform their work safely. This goes along with 19 000 cloth masks for workers delivering essential services during this time.

In addition, Sappi’s Saiccor Mill in Umkomaas sourced surplus sewing machines from a local business. These were installed at their skills centre to produce cloth masks.

“Following a short guideline from the Internet, they are now producing 28 masks per hour, working towards the target of making a further 3 000 of these cloth masks. Post lockdown, Sappi will be looking into providing training opportunities to local SMMEs in the area for the continued production of cloth masks,” Coetzee added.

The global pandemic is placing severe strain on communities already faced with food shortages. Sappi has joined hands with the Southern Star Lodestar Foundation and the SPAR group to distribute nutritional 60 000 kilograms of nutritional porridge to these communities.

“Sappi has also realised that this situation could in the long run have lingering effects on the resources of many institutions and organisations, and as such, we have pledged a donation of Sappi manufactured toilet paper and Typek office paper to the value of R2 million to the Department of Trade and Industry for their future distribution to deserving recipients,” said Alex Thiel, CEO of Sappi Southern Africa.

“In addition to these donations of first-need items and other initiatives, we have also used our considerable networks within local communities to distribute useful educational material regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. We commit to continue contributing to ‘flatten the curve’ while delivering essential services we are committed to heed the call of the president in fighting this disease and its effects on our country,” he said.

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