For nearly sevendecades, IWISA No 1 has been a household name at dinner tables across thecountry; creating cherished family memories with every meal. Our brand legacyand heritage are deeply rooted in community values, reflecting a commitment tonourishing not just the body, but also the spirit of togetherness andbelonging. As a brand, IWISA No 1 is dedicated to building, growing, andserving our communities, ensuring that every South African feels welcomed andwell-fed. Our commitment to social responsibility and community development iswoven into the fabric of our operations, reflecting our understanding that ourcollective strength lies in our collective well-being.
Building communities:starting with nutrition
Our journey as IWISA No1 began with a simple yet powerful mission: to provide nutritious, high-qualitymaize meal to South African households.
The past six decadeshave seen this mission expand to include a broader vision of communitybuilding.
Because we understandthat "nourishment" is about far more than just the physical, IWISA No 1 hasconsistently invested in initiatives that support education, healthcare andsustainable development within communities.
As community needsacross the country have evolved, so too has our partnership approach to helpingto solve them. The past two years have seen us co-create two new initiativeswith our customers and communities - notably the IWISA Community Championscompetition and our IWISA No 1 Fills Good campaign. As CEO-led andpurpose-driven initiatives, these represent a bottom-line commitment over andabove our Corporate Social Responsibility investments. The support and successwe have seen with both already has reinforced our fundamental belief in thepower of "brand community": what can be unlocked and catalysed for goodtogether.
The IWISA No 1 Community Champions Competition: Unlocking the power of social entrepreneurship to solve community challenges
Now in its second year,the IWISA No 1 Community Champions Competition is a flagship brand initiative thatcelebrates the many unsung local heroes working tirelessly to uplift and growcommunities across South Africa.
The competition waslaunched by Premier in 2022 in partnership with the Silulo Foundation. It was designedto identify, upskill, support and enable our nation's impact-makers across thefour key regions of Gauteng, Free State, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape.
The initiative targetsestablished social entrepreneurs who have developed viable township SMEs thatsolve for a social need such as crime, poverty or unemployment. It underscoresthe brand's commitment to not only support businesses that are ‘doing good',but empower them to scale and amplify their positive social and environmentalimpact.
To this end, thecompetition journey itself has been carefully crafted to encourage specific"pitching" and presentation skills development. Regional finalists who areshortlisted to "pitch" their SMEs to a panel of experts receive expert trainingfocused on their marketing and sales abilities. In this way, they receive newinsights that can assist them to continue to take their SMEs to market andbuild sustainability as a direct outcome of participating. They also receivejudge panel feedback on the pitching day - providing them with positiveencouragement to continue focusing on these skills.
With the competition havingclosed at the end of May 2024, uptake and support continues to grow. Just over600 entries were received in total this year, and the finalist competitions arenow underway in each region. These events are additionally being used tosupport local SMEs wherever possible - from venue hire through to gifts for theguests which have been sourced from participants from the 2022 competition.
Regional finalists willbe competing for their share of R60 000 in prize money - allocated acrossfirst, second and third place as R30 000, R20 000 and R10 000respectively. They will also win targeted enterprise development training throughIWISA's strategic partnerships with the IDC and the Silulo Foundation. Whereverpossible, IWISA will also support networking and promote these SMEs within ourvalue chain - an extension of this commitment to "do good".
While the greatestimpact of the competition lies in what it is able to unlock and enable in eachof the finalists and winners, as a brand we're going to continue evolving thecompetition and process to remain relevant and future-facing. Participants mustbe "better off" having taken part and being exposed to our brand in this way.We remain committed to igniting fresh thinking and unlocking new tools that canadd real value to these entrepreneurs and their SMEs. We want their stories tobe told and their phenomenal contribution to be celebrated.
The IWISA No 1 FillsGood campaign: unlocking the power of community goodwill to support localheroes
May 2024 saw IWISA No 1launch our new "Fills Good" purpose-led initiative in both Klerksdorp andRustenburg. This campaign is being piloted with key customers across thecountry - with new stores being added in June, July and August.
Currently being run inpartnership with Save A Lot Three-Star Powertrade in Rustenburg, Overland Cashand Carry in Klerksdorp; and Mokopane Food Hyper, this initiative includes ourfull IWISA No 1 basket in each of these stores: for every product purchased, adonation is made towards the registered NPO each of these stores has selectedto support. These include the Lighthouse Children's Home (Rustenburg), SAVFEvanna Home for the Elderly (Klerksdorp) and the Mahwelereng Centre of Hope(Mokopane).
The defining feature ofthe campaign is that it is purpose-driven: the donation comes directly from theproduct purchase. All monies collected in each store by the end of November2024 will be pooled and then used towards key projects identified by each ofthe NPOs as critical to their sustainability and the support they are providingto vulnerable community members through their work.
In conceptualising thiscampaign, we once again went back to basics. As IWISA No 1, we have always beena community-driven brand. Our brand purpose speaks to bringing individuals,families and communities together to build, grow and do great things. It's allabout making a positive and sustainable difference in everyday people'severyday lives. This campaign allows us to do that - with our customers drivingthe achievement of the donation target. This makes their choice count,especially as they selected the NPO that will benefit from their purchase.
With more customersjoining the pilot in August 2024, IWISA is committed to continue building themomentum that has already been created in these areas. We're learningon-the-ground with our wholesalers and consumers through this campaign -understanding how to amplify and multiply the spirit of giving so prevalent inour communities, and make a real difference through this.
Remaining a brand with heart
As IWISA No 1 we remaincommitted to building and growing both of these signature initiatives - usinglearnings to make them even more effective and drive meaningful impact.
No matter how our brandcontinues to evolve, our commitment to community well-being remains at the coreof our mission, ensuring that IWISA No 1 remains a trusted partner in ourcollective journey towards a brighter, more prosperous future for all SouthAfricans. We are grateful for the ongoing support of our communities, inspiredby their stories and contributions, and are privileged to be part of theirlives.
