As part of its nationwide activities to celebrate former president Nelson Mandela’s 94th birthday, Nedbank will be rolling out a number of activities across Gauteng and as well as the rest of South Africa.

Nedbank will host approximately 50 children from the Alexandra based Thembalethu Community Crèche to sing happy birthday to Madiba while exposing the children to the world of banking and treating them to a range festivities. Nedbank will also partner with other stakeholder to refurbish the Pholoso Primary School in Alexandra as well as the Motjoli Primary School in Soweto.

Further, over 40 Nedbank employees in Gauteng will volunteer their time towards various LEAD SA projects across Gauteng. Across the country, Nedbank will be involved in a number of projects including the following:

Eastern Cape
Nedbank will be handing over a sick bay donated to Inkwenkwezi Primary School in Mvezo Village situated in Mthatha, Eastern Cape - where Mandela received his early education.

The much-needed sick bay will help to meet the immediate medical needs of learners attending the school, who travel long distances to access medical care. On the day, Nedbank employees will be putting finishing touches to the artwork, which decorates the outside of the sick bay. The bank will also erect a vegetable garden, donate reading books and teach learners to save in line with the annual Teach Children To Save campaign.

"Considering Madiba’s enduring love for children and education, we believe that it is befitting to assist his former school.  Education is our key focus area and this year we have invested over R15 million towards the Nedbank Fundisa Integrated School programme," said Kone Gugushe, Divisional Executive for Corporate Social Responsibility at Nedbank.

"This programme contributes towards our goal of creating a knowledge-based economy, which helps to drive our country’s growth and development. We work closely with government, schools, communities and other stakeholders through our interventions to address the skills shortage in our country and thereby, foster a value driven society."

Nedbank has also donated over R35 million to support disadvantaged  children in South Africa through the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (NMCF) since the inception (2005) of its children’s affinity programme.The programme includes a suite of banking and investment accounts. Nedbank makes a donation to the NMCF when clients use the products for the funding of children’s development projects, all at no cost to the client.

"We subscribe to the notion that everyday should be volunteer day and this is demonstrated not only through the donation of this sick bay, but through our wide-spread corporate social responsibility efforts which take place across South Africa," adds Gugushe.

The donation of a sick bay is only one of Nedbank’s activities on Mandela Day. Throughout the country, Nedbank employees will be contributing 67 minutes and more of their time towards several community projects including the following:

Limpopo
Nedbank will bring relief to over 200 children at Moime Primary School outside Tzaneen through its employees who will be doing repairs at the school and teaching children to save.

Across the country
As part of its ongoing commitment to encourage employees as well as clients to volunteer throughout the month of July, Nedbank employees across South Africa will continue their efforts to give back to those who are disadvantaged as part of the Nedbank Local Heroes programme. Now in its third year, the Nedbank Local Heroes programme continues to help Nedbank employees as well as clients to contribute to community projects that are close to their hearts.

Nedbank also creates conditions which encourage active participation by allowing employees two days of volunteerism. Over the past few years, an average of 1 700 Nedbank employees have taken the corporate social responsibility leave. In rand value, this amounts to nearly R3 million.

"As an organisation, we believe that it is our duty to lead by example and also stimulate active participation among all in society to be involved in uplifting those who are unable to provide for themselves. Moreover, social responsibility is critical to the success of all factors, which are essential to economic growth," said Gugushe.

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Nedbank is an Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider.
Issued on behalf of: Nedbank Group Communications 
Lesiba Sethoga
011 294 2997
lesibas@nedbank.co.za