The Shoprite Group has announced support for the Solidarity Fund in aid of the country’s response to Covid-19 and to assist the most vulnerable during this crisis.

An initial donation of R1-million will be made while the Group will also grow this amount daily with the support of the public via its Act for Change Fund facility. Customers are welcome to add a contribution to their purchases at the till points in any Shoprite or Checkers supermarket nationwide.

“South Africans are a formidable force for good when we are united. To overcome the greatest challenge of our time, we need to pull together more than ever before. Our government has established the Solidarity Fund and we must all play our part to ensure there are enough financial resources to stop this virus,” said Pieter Engelbrecht, CEO of the Group.

Funding will be made available immediately in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, providing help over the coming months as the crisis is set to intensify.

Last week the Group announced a R102 million once-off appreciation bonus for its shopfloor and distribution centre employees for their tireless efforts to feed the nation. They continue to work on the frontline, around the clock, to feed the nation and to get basic household items through its supply chain and onto store shelves as quickly as possible.

Engelbrecht said: “This is a period of great anxiety for everyone, but the Shoprite Group is doing everything in its power to protect the well-being of its employees, customers and communities during these unprecedented times.”

The Group has always been committed to supporting communities in need and launched the Act For Change Fund, a till-point donation facility, in March 2016 when customers enquired how they too could help drought-stricken communities". All customer donations made to the Act For Change Fund will now be paid into the Solidarity Fund.