Colouring Mandela Day

"The company believes in Mandela's Rainbow Nation and does much to bright up the lives of the poor and disadvantaged in donating a lot of paint to crèches, schools, old age homes, police stations, community halls, children's homes and the like," says Patrick Seager, Plascon's CSI manager.

"We are in a fortunate position where the product goes a long way and has immediate effect in beautifying a home or building - it is an immediate upliftment to the surrounds and brings smile to those who are less fortunate."

Partnering with Hectic Nine-9, Plascon and members of the hit kid's television show went out to Langa in Cape Town with 80 litres to give the Moravian crèche a coat of fresh paint; a school that cares for 130 children daily (including meals) between the ages of one and five. Not wanting to only transform the building, but also meet some of the basic daily needs, donations were sourced for items such as curtains, toys, foodstuffs, water, paint and crayons.

Wanting to impart knowledge, Marie Claire magazine partnered with GOLD (Generation Of Leaders Discovered), a dynamic non-profit organisation playing a key role in the transformation of under-served communities in Southern Africa and presented a pop-up university at the Plascon Freeworld Design Centre. Personalities such as Comedian Siv Ngesi, Heart FM's DJ Suga, entrepreneur Roxanne Kalie and Hectic Nine-9 present Danine Naidoo shared their insights and inspirations with the aim is to inspire these peer leaders, who in turn will influence and inspire their peers.

Proudly South Africa decided to celebrate Mandela's birthday by spending the day at the Thabo Tona Primary School in Zonkezizwe. The organisation along with LeadSA and Talk Radio 702, armed with 300 litres of the brand's paint, sang "Happy Birthday" for Madiba, had lunch with the children, read to them and prepared outer building surfaces for painting.

Back in the city, the company's PR, communication and social media manager, Lauren Shantall, attended an on-going product development training session at the Cape Craft and Design Institute. Talking to a group of crafters, Shantall spoke about global colour trends and the expression of these locally.

Further up north, SAfm gave its 67 minutes by travelling with the PM live team to Tzaneen in the Limpopo province to Moime Primary School, a school deeply in need of not only the necessities but some paint too. Broadcasting live from the school, the PM live team helped brighten up the school with 20 litres of enamel and painted the doors and window frames for the children.

Mandela Day school projects

Other company projects included: