Old Mutual Partnering to Provide Care during COVID-19

Collaborating to flatten the curve as well as address some of the more challenging socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 has been a common theme amongst many players recently, even before the lockdown started.

The Covid-19 crisis has intensified and accelerated our efforts to support the most vulnerable communities in our society.

More than R50 million has already been pledged to comprehensive relief efforts. Projects undertaken by the Old Mutual Foundation are over and above initiatives driven by our business units, such as the support of SMEs worth more R40 million and the offer of premium-free cover worth R4 billion to essential healthcare workers.

During the current challenging times we are working across the Old Mutual Group with our partners in government, business, civil society and elsewhere, by joining forces to make a positive impact in the communities in which we operate.

These initiatives include:

Learner support during lockdown

• Free radio and TV lessons are being rolled out for learners in Grades 1 to 12, thanks to a partnership with the National Department of Basic Education and Provincial Departments of Education.
• The Dial-a-Tutor initiative gives learners access to the best teachers in South Africa via interactive virtual classrooms.
• High-quality digital e-learning materials are being delivered to a good proportion of the 12 million learners and 440 000 teachers nationwide.
• We are honoured to be part of the Department of Basic Education’s Interim Steering Team on Covid-19, and we continue to work closely with them to ramp up support across the country.

Hygiene, health, safety and sanitation support

• Through our partnership with the Imbumba Foundation and its Soap4HOPE campaign, we are distributing soap and other hygiene products to vulnerable communities across South Africa. The campaign also spreads safe hygiene protocols and physical distancing messaging so that no one is left behind in our efforts to help flatten the Covid-19 curve.
• We have also partnered with an organisation called Higher Health to raise awareness through community radio stations and via webinars and sms alerts.  

Food Security

• The Old Mutual Staff Volunteer Fund Trust has contributed R2 million towards food relief We have partnered with FoodForward SA to distribute food parcels to homes for the aged, shelters for women and youth, child-headed households and Early Childhood Development Centres.
• We are working with the Department of Social Development and various NGOs to provide nutrition to thousands of children who are not able to access school feeding schemes during the lockdown.
• Through our partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) we are also reaching out to vulnerable refugees.

Old Mutual PMB initiatives

• Our Provincial Management Boards (PMBs) have been active in each of the provinces, partnering with respective government departments and NGOs to address local and regional needs.
• Through our PMBs, we have collectively donated around R2 million to Community relief efforts, including the provision of personal protective equipment, tents, hospital beds and food parcels, in conjunction with an array of regional and provincial partners.

Rest of Africa (RoA)

• Relief funding worth R6 million will be directed towards food and nutrition, health and education across the countries we operate in.
• Many of these countries have also contributed significantly with their own in-country commitments, collectively donating more than R8,5 million to Covid-19 relief efforts.

Recently our President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised that ordinary South Africans, have proven time and time again – throughout our history – that they can rise to the challenge and we as Old Mutual we’re privileged and honoured to be able to continue supporting those who have always supported us.