During the recent Presidential Golf Challenge and Dinner, which took place at Atlantic Beach Golf Estate at Melkbosstrand, President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted the contributions made by some of South Africa’s biggest technology companies to the Adopt a School Foundation, a partner entity of Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation.
The annual challenge, which takes place the day after the State of the Nation Address (SONA) and has run since 1999, acts as a fundraiser for the sitting President of the Republic to raise funds for the charity of their own choice. The initiative, coordinated by the Minister for Public Service and Administration, is a joint effort with the private sector to partake in developmental initiatives to empower society.
The challenge raises funds for developmental charities and creates an opportunity for networking among decision-makers within the private sector and entities from the three spheres of government.
The Adopt a School Foundation has long been a beneficiary of the challenge. The President sits on the board of the foundation, which aims to redress the inequalities at many South African schools by providing them with the resources and funding they desperately need. To date, some 663 schools have been adopted as a result of the foundation’s activities.
Big tech companies, including Huawei, have been among the largest supporters of the foundation. In a speech at the dinner which followed the day’s golfing activities, President Ramaphosa acknowledged the contributions of those companies and spoke about Huawei’s support for the foundation.
“I see Huawei is here, which has always been a partner to the work that the foundation does,” he said.
Huawei is a longtime supporter of the Adopt-a-School Foundation, donating to students and schools in need, with an involvement stretching back more than a decade. Adopt-a-School Foundation utilises funds from the annual challenge to construct ablution facilities in schools, aligning with the Department of Basic Education’s SAFE Initiative (Sanitation Appropriate for Education).
