JOHANNESBURG- In just two years, SASKO’s Siyasizana Play Better initiative has reached a milestone that speaks to the power of purpose and collective action.
1000 playgrounds at early childhood development centres (ECDs) and primary schools have been upgraded across South Africa, providing safe and engaging play spaces to more than one million children.
To mark this historic 1,000 playgrounds milestone, SASKO hosted a Mandela Day celebration at Ikaneng Combined School in Diepkloof, Soweto – one of the many schools uplifted through the SASKO Siyasizana initiative.
As part of the Mandela Day activation, SASKO unveiled a special edition loaf made up of 1,000 slices – a symbolic gesture celebrating both the milestone and the late Nelson Mandela’s vision for a better South Africa.
The loaf was used to prepare sandwiches for the children of Ikaneng and a local NGO that supports feeding initiatives for learners in the community, ensuring that the spirit of Mandela Day is not only celebrated, but lived out through caring for our communities.
SASKO Siyasizana, was launched in 2023, to address the stark inequalities in access to quality play resources at ECD Centres and schools.
The SASKO Siyasizana programme is grounded in Care, with an investment of over R10 million, and supported by SASKO consumers, customers and communities who nominated deserving schools and participated in various schools’ collection programs, has enabled SASKO to reach areas that have long been overlooked.
Schools from Limpopo to Khayelitsha, Soweto to Gqeberha, now boast colourful play zones designed for inclusivity, imagination and joy.
As part of the celebration, SASKO hosted a panel discussion with key stakeholders to discuss the impact of this and other initiatives which aim to address the needs of children in underserved communities.
Nico Moloto, PepsiCo South Africa’s Corporate Affairs Director, highlighted the value of partnerships when aiming to boost nutrition and food access in our schools.
“As PepsiCo South Africa, we are proud to be able to partner with the Department of Basic Education to supplement its efforts to avoid malnutrition amongst scholars, by running our own Breakfast Nutrition Programme across 35 schools nationally”.
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Representing the Department of Basic Education, Director of Sports and Enrichment, Given Mabena shared insights into the role of public-sector collaboration in such initiatives
“An active mind begins with a nourished body and through partnerships like the PepsiCo SA Breakfast Nutrition Programme and the SASKO Siyasizana initiative, we are ensuring that learners, especially in their early years, are equipped to learn through play, explore with energy, and engage meaningfully in the classroom.
These programmes show the power of collaboration between government and the private sector in giving every child the opportunity to thrive physically, cognitively, and socially. When learners are nourished, engaged, and supported through sport and enrichment, we are not just improving education outcomes — we are shaping futures.” Mabena concluded.
This is what putting Care into action looks like,” says Soni. “When consumers, communities, and business come together, we unlock the kind of change that lasts generations.”
With support growing, and communities leading the charge, SASKO Siyasizana continues to prove that sustained care builds more than loyalty. It builds futures.
To join the SASKO Siyasizana movement or learn more, visit www.sasko.co.za/siyasizana.
