Free media space to assist NGOs and SMEs

2 Jul 2012

Late last week, Media24 launched its biggest community project to date when it announced the donation of R24 million worth of free advertising space in its magazines, newspapers and online titles to help make the dreams of 12 non-profit companies and 12 small businesses in South Africa come true.

Media24 CEO Esmaré Weideman and the “mascot” for the project, William Swarts (4) of Grabouw. William appears in all the marketing material for the project. Photo by: Leánne Stander

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This donation forms part of the group's 'Giving you space to Grow' project, aimed at community development and growth. This is a focused initiative to combine the efforts of the media company's myriad social investments under one umbrella and to make a difference in the visibility of these 24 organisations and businesses.

"Media24 is excited about launching this initiative, aimed at being of value to communities," says Esmaré Weideman, CEO: Media24. "With 'Giving you space to Grow', we are focusing our contribution to socio-economic development and enterprise development on making a difference within the context of broad-based black economic empowerment.

"By donating advertising space and editorial coverage, we are helping 12 non-profit organisations to get more exposure for the contributions they are already making to the social fibre of our community. In addition, we are also supporting 12 small businesses whose entrepreneurship initiatives are aiding economic progress at local levels."

Photo by: Leánne Stander

click to enlarge

Not limited to advertising space

A variety of publications will assist the project to make a contribution to the work these 24 organisations are already doing. The beneficiaries will each receive advertising space to the value of R1 million and the advertisements will run in the group's various magazines, newspapers and online titles from 1 August until 31 December this year.

The contribution won't only be limited to advertising space - several publications have also committed their editorial support for the project. Titles such as You, NewsNow, go! and Finweek have chosen 'partners' that fit in with their various brands from this list of 24 organisations. The titles will report on these organisations to support their work in the communities.

Project manager, Adrie Jurgensen, says, "There are many different ways of getting involved with projects in South Africa. Merely dishing out money is not always the answer. South Africa has such a wealth of stories about hope and success, as well as stories about trials and tribulations. We can all learn from what others do to help people. With this project we can help to tell South Africans stories about the remarkable work done daily."

The 12 non-profit organisations which will benefit from the donation are: Badisa, Junior Achievement SA, the Make a Difference Foundation, FunDza, World Wildlife Fund, grassroots ad agency The Movement, Reach for a Dream, Charity Aid Foundation SA, FAMSA, the sport and education NGO the JAG Foundation, help2read and the Shanduka Black Umbrellas. The 12 small businesses that will benefit from this project all form part of the Shanduka Black Umbrellas, an organisation supporting new businesses.

For more, go to www.csi24.co.za.

Updated at 11:06am on 3 July 2012.