The campaign provides essential stationery packs to nearly 9,000 learners, helping address a growing challenge facing many South African households as rising living costs continue to place pressure on education-related expenses.
The initiative demonstrates the increasing role major retailers are playing in education support and community upliftment through collaborative consumer-driven fundraising models.
Through the partnership, Meals on Wheels Community Services South Africa will work directly with schools and communities nationwide to distribute supplies including pens, calculators, exercise books and other classroom essentials to learners most in need.
Gershon Naidoo, national programmes and marketing director at Meals on Wheels, said the organisation’s national community network allows it to identify and support vulnerable learners effectively.
“We see first-hand the challenges families face every day. Through our network, we’re able to help ensure these supplies reach learners in communities that are often overlooked.”
The Act For Change campaign combined contributions from customers, suppliers and brand partners through multiple fundraising mechanisms integrated directly into the shopping experience.
Consumers were able to contribute through the purchase of a limited-edition Act For Change exam pad, sold both in-store and via the Checkers Sixty60 platform, with R2 from every purchase allocated to the stationery fund.
Customers could also donate R5 at till points nationwide.
A number of major stationery and supply brands joined the initiative, contributing a portion of proceeds from selected products. Participating brands included Bic, Staedtler, Casio, Sappi and several other suppliers across the education and stationery sector.
The initiative reflects the growing emphasis on education-focused corporate social investment within South Africa’s retail sector, particularly as economic pressures continue affecting household access to basic educational resources.
Sanjeev Raghubir, chief sustainability officer at the Shoprite Group, said access to basic learning tools remains fundamental to educational participation and learner confidence.
“Ensuring learners have the basic tools they need allows them to focus on learning and engage more fully in the classroom.”
The Act For Change Fund remains active throughout the year, allowing consumers to continue supporting community-focused initiatives through donations at Checkers till points nationwide.
Funds raised through the programme are allocated to various corporate social investment projects across South Africa, reinforcing the retailer’s broader sustainability and community development objectives.
As retailers increasingly integrate purpose-driven initiatives into everyday commerce, campaigns like Act For Change highlight how consumer participation, supplier collaboration and nonprofit partnerships can collectively contribute toward addressing critical social needs such as education access.
