Recognised as one of the leaders in the Fats and Oils category in South Africa, Willowton Group was approached by the HSFSA to become a Platinum Sponsor for the next three years and, as a result, all 'Heart Mark' approved products can now display a specially designed Platinum Seal that endorses the initiative. These products include brands such as Sunfoil, Sunshine D and Nuvolite.
Participation in the Platinum Sponsorship programme is a unique opportunity reserved exclusively for leading companies within a particular category and is reputed to be the most prestigious distinction bestowed on an HSFSA partner. Across the eight food categories within the programme, there can only be one Platinum Sponsor per category. The group has announced that it is recognised as the official recipient of and is the only Platinum Sponsor in the Fats and Oils category.
Group CEO Razak Moosa commented, "We have embarked on a journey to build strong South African brands in the categories we trade in and the Platinum Sponsorship is one of the building blocks we are using to make our cooking oils, margarines and spreads household favourites amongst our customers."
"The Platinum Sponsorship has two distinct benefits in that a portion of the funds each year go towards well needed medical research for heart and stroke disease, South Africa's leading non-infectious killers. Secondly, it allows us a point of difference in the Fats & Oils category, which is something FMCG companies are always aiming to achieve, allowing us to offer added value back to the consumer at the point of purchase. We are looking forward to our partnership and product offering growing from strength to strength with the Heart & Stroke Foundation over the next three years," continued Moosa.
Willowton Group also announced that the HSFSA now approves another of its leading brands, Sunfoil Triple Refined Pure Sunflower Oil, which recently signed a sponsorship deal with the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins Cricket Team.
Dr Vash Mungal-Singh, CEO of the HSFSA added, "I would like to thank the company for their generous and unconditional sponsorship of our organisation. As an NGO, funding our life-saving work is a continual challenge and the generosity of sponsors such as Willowton Group enables us to continue reaching out to the millions of South Africans who are affected by cardiovascular disease on a daily basis. CVD is the world's number one killer and, in South Africa, is second only to HIV/Aids. Yet the vast majority of cases, up to 80%, are caused by our lifestyles, and therefore preventable. People need to know this, and they need to know how to take back control of their health. We need more research, and we need to reach more people through our education and awareness campaigns. These are vital if we are to beat this local and global scourge. Our future generations depend on us to do this right."
Dr. Mungal-Singh also stressed that thanks to the support and generosity of the company, the HSFSA can double its efforts to make inroads against further health threats. Every family in South Africa is affected by heart disease or stroke in some way, and therefore, the Foundation aims to reach every family in our country. This partnership helps to take us closer to our goal.
