Following the surprise announcement by MTN that it would be pledging a mammoth R30-million to SA Rugby Union (Saru) on Thursday, Dis-Chem joined the spirit of giving and pledged R12-million.
In a letter sent by Dis-Chem CEO Rui Morais to Boks captain Siya Kolisi, the retail pharmacy group committed to donate R1-million for every point scored in the final match – which would be directed towards tackling challenges facing the country.
The Springboks made history when they were crowned the 2023 Rugby World Cup champions after edging past New Zealand’s All Blacks 12-11 during a nail-biting final in Paris on Saturday.
Kind gesture born out of challenges SA faces
Morais said the kind gesture comes from the challenges that some South Africans go through daily and hopes the donation will go a long way.
“I am an incredibly proud South African, and have a strong belief that, as before, each of the challenges that face our country and its people will ultimately be navigated into the past,” Morais said in the letter.
“As a South African company, Dis-Chem is determined to also be a national hero who makes our country proud.
“We’ve been inspired to translate the 12-point Rugby World Cup final score into 12 months of tackling South African challenges with a R12-million investment which will translate into a meaningful, measurable difference to 12 deserving causes.”
Development of local rugby
Meanwhile, Saru president Mark Alexander thanked MTN for a R30-million pledge towards rugby development.
“I would like to share a word of gratitude to MTN for their generosity towards our game,” Alexander said.
“MTN has been with us for two world cups – in 2019 and now in 2023. And once again, they answered our call for rugby development and growing the game in South Africa.
“With that said, thank you MTN for your endless support, we really appreciate it.”
The Boks are currently on day two of their trophy tour in Cape Town.
