22 December 2021: Big hearts are needed during difficult economic times in which many communities struggle. And once again, the pandemic – which continued to wreak havoc in 2021 – has proven just how big the hearts are of those in the Kimberley area.

Beefmaster Group, a leading specialist supplier of beef products based in Kimberley, has given back more than R1.2 million to communities in need in and around the area throughout 2021.

“We continue to see how the pandemic has impacted the lives of the people around us, many of whom are our staff or their families. While giving back has always been a priority at Beefmaster Group, this year we decided to increase our relief measures across our key focus areas so as to bring more relief to our communities,” says Roelie van Reenen, supply chain executive at Beefmaster Group.

According to the Department of Labour, the Northern Cape needs help: Statistics report a worrying trend that the number of destitute children is on the rise in Kimberley due to COVID-19 pandemic. Figures show the provincial unemployment rate at 24.9% and under the expanded definition of unemployment, which includes people who have stopped looking for work, it is 49%.

“It is now more than ever that giving back is needed. We live in a country that requires us to be mindful of our current situation and we should remember that some neighbours are not as fortunate,” says van Reenen.

Here’s a closer look at some of the initiatives undertaken by the Group this year:

In 2021 Beefmaster Group spent close on R700 000 on donations in and around the area, adding four institutions to the monthly fixed donation list.

In late 2020, the Group established a soup kitchen at its facility in Kimdustria, and in 2021 this was extended to other communities in Kimberley including Galeshwe and Greenpoint, in partnership with the CRC Church, given the dire need in these areas. Children between the ages of 0 to 18 years are fed; in Greenpoint between 350 to 400 hungry mouths are fed, while in Galeshwe this figure is between 500 and 550. The Group spent almost R300 000 on this initiative in 2021, thereby favourably contributing to alleviating hunger and food security.

Furthermore, the Group worked with organisations that provide relief to small communities struggling with the impact of fire or drought damage. The Group donated 318 tons of animal feed to relief organisations like Prieska Droogtehulp and farmer organisations from Perdeberg and Schmidtsdrif (both Kimberley area) as well as Bloemhof and Christiana (Lekwa Teemane local Municipality), to assist during disasters. To put that into perspective, that is about 318 Volkswagen Beetles; or 42 school busses in weight.

“We donated a substantial amount of fodder to Prieska Droogtehulp, and in addition, a feedlick, which is a high protein feed block, benefitting multiple animals at once,” says van Reenen, adding that during 2021, Beefmaster Group allocated 25% of its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) spend for the year to the organisation to continue to support its drought relief efforts.

Van Reenen believes that “no man is an island”, meaning that no community in the agricultural sector can function on its own, which means helping those that are in need is a moral duty, given that everyone is part of the same community.

He says that this is why the organisation is making plans to expand its relief efforts in 2022 and build on the goodwill it has already established in the area.

“We are deeply committed to the development of our community and we strive to improve livelihoods. We hope that by talking about the relief measures we undertook in 2021, we can encourage more generosity from abled businesses and individuals in 2022 to either improve the socio-economic profile of the area, or to bring relief to those in in need,” concludes van Reenen.