ESG & Sustainability Video South Africa

Rhinos may look tough with their double horns and thick skin. But the iconic creatures have sensitive souls. Jade Aldridge didn’t expect to fall in love with the gentle beasts. When the veterinary nurse came to South Africa to volunteer in wildlife rehabilitation, she was confronted with the realities of rhino poaching. She began to take care of calves whose mothers had been killed after seeing the life-threatening position the orphaned animals were in. “I wanted to make a difference,” she says. Aldridge made a decision to put down roots here and fight for their lives. Read Jade Aldridge's full story...

Nonhlanhla Joye was diagnosed with cancer in 2014. While chemotherapy challenged her strength, her immediate concern wasn’t her health. Too sick to return to work, Joye’s priority was finding a way to put food on the table for her family. So the daughter of a farmer turned to what she knew best and started planting vegetables outside her home in Cato Manor. But what Joye hoped would be a solution turned into a disaster. The chickens roaming around the township got to her garden, destroying her harvest. If Joye was to succeed, some creativity was needed. That’s how she started farming in a plastic packet. Read Nonhlanhla Joye's full story...

Before the game ends, Nokulunga Mvandaba’s netball team already know they are winners. The coach has taught them to build up each other’s self-worth, not just how to score goals. She knows the difference support can have. While at university, someone Mvandaba trusted sexually assaulted her. Like many women who go through this, she was emotionally vulnerable and unable to deal with what had happened. “I felt like I had no one to speak to,” Mvandaba says. “It resulted in a lot of self-destructive behaviour.” Turning to alcohol and drugs to cope, her life spiraled downhill as she moved further away from her family. The experience had robbed Mvandaba of her sense of purpose. That changed when she picked up a netball, and her life. Read Nokulunga Mvandaba's full story...

When she was just nine years old, Jacky du Plessis’ parents divorced. She started horse riding to get over the break, finding solace, comfort and safety in the bonds she formed with the animals. As she grew older, her love for them developed, as did her desire to create positive change. Wanting to use her passion for these animals and her knowledge of their therapeutic characteristics to make a difference, Du Plessis started working with horses as a form of therapy and rehabilitation for people with disabilities as well as victims of abuse and emotional trauma. Since 2009, she has used her work to help horses heal humans. Read Jacky du Plessis' full story...

It’s 2002. Dallas Oberholzer, champion skateboarder, sets foot in Isithumba, in the sprawling Valley of a Thousand Hills. He has a vision for something unheard of in the area: a skate park. But in the face of uncertainty, he turned his idea into a reality, and opened Indigo Skate Camp, a place for vulnerable youths to try their foot at the sport and grind a new path in life. Read Dallas Oberholzer's full story...

Liesl Hermanus didn’t plan to fall pregnant at university. She struggled with the experience. After giving birth, she went through bouts of unexplained tearfulness. Hermanus couldn’t breastfeed, which provoked extreme anxiety. She felt like a failure. But today, Hermanus understands that as one in three people in South Africa to experience depression or anxiety, mental health issues are nothing to be ashamed of. Pregnant women in particular are at high risk, which is why she is working to create a safe space for them to speak up and be heard. Read Hermanus's full story...

The first time Happiness Gutshwa picked up a soccer ball, she held her future in her hands. Not that she knew it at the time. Just 11 years old, she couldn’t have imagined how far the sport would take her. At first she played with anyone willing to join. It was only as she got older that Gutshwa noticed the gender bias on the field. But this has only served to motivate her further. Despite the fact that men still get the lion’s share of sporting coverage and support, Gutshwa is determined to make a difference with Khayelitsha’s first women’s club. Read Happiness Gutshwa's full story...

Hillbrow is a neighbourhood clouded by misconceptions. It’s had many lives over the years, from being a segregated area during apartheid to becoming the mix of nationalities and cultures it is today. Over time, it has developed a reputation for crime and violence. For Gerard Bester, it’s home. “There are many negative stories about Hillbrow,” he says. Bester uses theatre as a safe space for children to overcome issues they face, such as xenophobia and drug abuse. On stage, they take back the narratives surrounding their town. Read Gerard Bester's full story...

Chalk-covered hands grip neon holds. Legs stretch across ledges to keep balance. One slip and you drop the ground. But the frustration of falling only fuels Glenn Moncrieff’s motivation. There’s a peak to reach – it’s just a matter of figuring out the route. He knows all too well the obstacles that come with climbing. Moncrieff has been doing it for 10 years, and relishes the process. “The unpredictability and challenges of a climbing wall mirror life,” he says. Because of this parallel, Moncrieff is showing the ropes to vulnerable youth. Moncrieff cofounded the NPO DreamHigher to bring climbing to children living on the street. The sport requires resources and access. By opening it up to kids in Cape Town, Moncrieff is bridging social divides. Read Glenn Moncrieff's full story...

Imagine reading these words, but not understanding them. This is the reality for many in South Africa. When children are behind in their reading, it affects their personal growth, and all areas of society. Taryn Lock understands the power of words. She has committed her time to sharing the wonder of books with eager learners, opening up their world to new opportunities. “I realised there was so much joy in inspiring children to read,” Lock says. By helping youth go beyond their ABC’s, she is giving them an upper hand in life. Read Taryn Lock's full story...

The township of Masiphumelele is nestled between the rolling hills of the Cape Peninsula. This is where Songezo Jim restarted his life after loss. Orphaned at the age of 14, the road ahead didn’t look good. “I kind of felt hopeless in a way,” Jim says. Until one day, the Cape Town Cycle Tour riders flashed past his house. “I didn’t even know how to ride a bicycle,” Jim says. Yet something stirred inside him. Inspired, Jim picked up the sport and started racing towards a better path. Read Jim's full story...