The MTN South Africa Foundation (MSAF) has launched an initiative called Y’ello Care which aims to tackle two big problems in South Africa in June and July: the Covid-19 relief and assisting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have been struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The General Manager of MSAF, Kusile Mtunzi-Hairwadzi, stated, ‘Over the next two months, [MSAF] will mobilise employees across the country to focus their volunteerism efforts on three main areas, namely health, food, and water security’.

The mobile network operator and its employee volunteers will be working with established non-profit organisations who are already working on those three areas in communities across the country. To involve SMEs in the programme, smaller courier and logistics companies will be used to move around required items for these projects as well as personal protection equipment (PPE).

Mtunzi-Hairwadzi also noted, ‘In the world of business, it is SMEs that are being the hardest hit. Their ability to continue to operate is severely being put to the test. We believe that access to particular skill sets, like ICT and digital marketing, will become critical tools needed to survive. We also believe that this part of the programme will not only give the beneficiary SMEs a lifeline but that it will assist in creating new job opportunities – helping to drive our economy forward when we come out on the other side’.

South Africa just entered level three of its lockdown, thereby allowing more businesses to open. It is still going to be a tough road for smaller companies to go back to normal after being shut down for weeks. However, the Y’ello Care initiative may be a helping hand to small businesses until the Covid-19 pandemic is over.

Source: HTXT

Photo source: Rachel Strohm