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We treat our communities like our own

Our Communities

“Growing Together” is at the heart our business philosophy of the Premier Way. We prioritise ensuring food security so that enough nutritious, safe food options are available to people in our communities. Our many Corporate Social Investment initiatives have been driven by our purpose of nourishing and empowering communities to grow together. In addition to our own projects, to extend our reach, we partner with established NGO’s who are well equipped to manage disaster relief and distribute product to those in need. We partner with the African Children’s Feeding Scheme, Gift of the Givers, Food Forward, the Red Cross and many more, donating millions of loaves of bread and other products towards various relief programmes.

Our belief is that the future of our country is dependent on access to and improved standards of education. Through our bursaries, graduate internships and learnerships, we aim to assist and develop unemployed youth and people with disabilities. Our Unemployed Disabled Learnership programme, the Bake-for-Profit course, co-sponsored by our Snowflake brand, and various holiday camps sponsored by our brands are designed to help uplift members of impoverished communities and contribute towards addressing the high unemployment rate in South Africa. In addition, Enterprise Supplier Development programmes have been undertaken to empower people in our communities in the same way. Our various creche projects, initiated by Blue Ribbon, Mister Bread, Star Bakeries and BB Bakeries, employ local service providers to renovate creches across the country and assist in early learning development as well as providing  meals and donations of learning materials.

We work to end all forms of discrimination against women and girls, ensuring women’s equal opportunities in the workplace and through our Lil-lets products, support gender equality. As part of our intimate health and hygiene initiatives, Lil-lets offers health education through several channels, such as our Lil-lets Talk platform, to demystify myths associated with menstruation and empower women to talk about menstrual hygiene. Sanitary protection products are also distributed to alleviate period poverty through a number of initiatives and NGO’s, including Millions of Comfort in partnership with Dischem, Caring4Girls, Gift of the Givers, African Children Feeding Scheme, Hlokomela Banana in Lesotho amongst others, with the aim of helping keep girls at school during their monthly cycles.

With more than 30 sites across the country employing over 8 100 people from local communities, our operations play a proactive role in disaster management, food security, community clean ups and facilities upgrades.

Through these extensive corporate social responsibility activities, we intend to contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals through mobilising and sharing knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources.

The Communities pillar of our sustainability strategy is aligned with the following UN Sustainable Goals (SDGs):

Zero Hunger
Quality Education
Gender Equality
Partnerships for the Goals

Our Community Stories

As we move into the season of family and community, Premier FMCG would like to thank the Santa Shoebox Project and The Hot Cares Teddython who we have partnered with over the past few years.

Each year, we aim to increase our contribution, which is why this year we have donated over R377k worth of Sweets to Santas Shoebox who have collected over 63,099 shoeboxes to distribute to children to gift a little extra sweetness this festive season.

As we move into 2022, Blue Ribbon has continued its support to the Hot Cares Teddython. This means that 4,005 meals will be distributed each week in the coming year with Blue Ribbon Bread.

If you would like to donate to these charities contribute to improving lives in South Africa, go to https://santashoebox.org.za/ or go to https://hot1027.co.za/teddython/



Nothing says sweetness like a child hugging a plushy toy. Together with Manhattan Sweets, Premier FMCG has donated over 450 Manhattan Sam and Teddy Bear cuddly toys in the last 6 months to the Teddy Bear Foundation and Cotlands to add a little comfort to children in need.
And while Manhattan Sweets fulfills its brand purpose of building kind citizens, it also believes this can be done in a way that helps local SME's to grow. That’s why the Creatarium Design Studio has locally made each soft toy to assist a small group of seamstresses located in the Cape Flats.

To add a cuddle to a child's life, go to http://ttbc.org.za/ or https://www.cotlands.org/ to donate.



Premier FMCG prepared for World Food Day with its employees, who have come together to pack food parcels for vulnerable beneficiaries in a collective effort to combat world hunger and ensure a better life for all.

Food Forward, Gift of the Givers and SA Harvest have partnered with Premier FMCG to distribute 12 tons of maize in our effort to build a better tomorrow.



As Eswatini’s leading food manufacturer with three sites producing Flour, Maize, Bread, and Mahewu for emaSwati and the rest of Africa, Premier Eswatini joins in the world hunger movement. Working towards #ZeroHunger, we will donate food parcels and deliver essential goods to 22 charities, providing over 163,920 servings in the next few months.

With over 600 employees producing over 126k tons of food per year, Premier Eswatini is committed to working with charities and NGO’s to uplift our people.

NGO’s such as the Illa Pan Boy, Remar, Sandra Lee and the International Youth Fellowship (IYF) are what make a difference where communities need it most. “As we build the youth center to nurture the leaders of the next generation, we are working with volunteers from local and abroad. Your support is of great help for the precious project. We believe that we are making the future of Eswatini together. Thank you for your support!” - IYF

In the spirit of togetherness, we join hands to help our people, help each other, one meal at a time.



As a leading food producer in Mozambique, CIM is mindful of its responsibilities to the community. We are committed to improving the lives of others with a special focus on children, the elderly and those who need it most. CIM has donated nearly MZN650k of essential food products such as maize, wheat flour, instant porridge, pasta, rice, and biscuits in the past year.

Being responsive to those who are in need is also at the heart of what we do. That’s why we donated 800 bags of 25kg pasta to refugees fleeing from the conflict in the northern parts of Cabo Delgado province. CIM not only produces essential goods, but we also have heart. We believe in being an integral part of our communities, understanding their challenges, and making a difference, no matter how small.



“Today a dream came true. Four truckloads of Impala Maize Meal - 128 pallets in total” – 76,800 meals – “were delivered by Premier FMCG in Johannesburg. This overwhelmingly generous donation of a staple food item will supplement the nutritious vegetables we deliver to our beneficiaries for months to come.”, says @SAHarvest.

Based in Johannesburg, SA Harvest’s mission is to end hunger. According to SA Harvest’s website, “20 million people go to bed hungry every night in South Africa while 10 million tonnes of food (enough to feed these people three nutritious meals a day for over a year!) is wasted every year.”

Premier FMCG will continue to join the #unionagainsthunger by partnering with inspiring initiatives whose goal is to change the world. To find out more about SA Harvest, go to https://saharvest.org/.



Based in Kwa Zulu Natal, BB Bakeries is a local brand that makes a real difference. This year alone, the bakeries have donated over 596 000 loaves of bread to rural communities, local charities and schools.

By implementing these projects, as well as partnering with NGO’s like We Care Mother Africa that work closely with rural communities and schools, BB Bakeries in KZN has not only earned the right to operate in communities but has contributed to providing hope to youth to impact their future.


Eswatini Bakery believes “Charity begins at home” and needs to earn the right to operate within their communities. When COVID swept across Eswatini, the bakery embarked on a project to make a difference. By partnering with initiatives like Donate A Bread (a campaign started by a Local Musician), Mpatheni High School, Driven Ardent Youth, Diaper Solutions Organisation, and 13 other charities, Eswatini Bakery has been able to donate over 60,000 loaves of bread since May 2020.

As we approach World Hunger Day on the 16th of October 2021, Eswatini Bakery will continue to invest in communities in need in the interest of realising WHO’s 2030 goal of #ZeroHunger


During World Hunger Month, we would like to recognise Gift of the Givers' work in nourishing lives and alleviating hunger. As one of our core partners in providing food parcels and cooked meals to millions of people across South Africa, Gift of the Givers is an NPO dedicated to #ZeroHunger.

Together, with Gift of the Givers, we have been able to feed people in need over 350,000 meals in impoverished communities.

To find out more about Gift of the Givers, go to https://giftofthegivers.org/



In World Hunger Month, as we aim to realise the goal of #ZeroHunger, we would like to recognise Lesotho Metropolitan Insurance for their incredible work in delivering food parcels to struggling communities in Roma, Mafateng, Maseru, Leribe and Semonkong.

Each food parcel consisted of 12,5kg Iwisa Maize Meal, 5 Loaves of Blue-Ribbon Classic Brown bread, 10kg Snowflake flour, 5kg beans, 5kg peas and 5 packets of different vegetable seeds.

It is initiatives like this that help make a difference.



Without partners like @FoodForwardSA, Premier FMCG would not be able to impact disadvantaged communities positively. Since COVID, Food Forward SA has distributed over 29 million meals to nearly 500,000 people on a daily basis. Premier FMCG, enabled by Food Forward, has distributed over R3,6 million worth of essential foods like maize, bread, flour, and mageu in the last 6 months.

We would like to thank Food Forward SA for their incredible efforts and passion for helping alleviate hunger in South Africa in the pursuit of #zerohunger. During World Hunger Month, if you would like to find out more about this NGO, go to https://foodforwardsa.org/.



To impact as many people as possible from children to impoverished families to old age homes, Premier FMCG has chosen to partner with over 48 charities to make a difference across South Africa and within the communities of our 36 manufacturing, bakery, and depot sites.

During World Hunger Month, we will continue to work with our valued partners to earn the right to operate in our communities and contribute to the WHO Sustainable Development Goal 2 of Zero Hunger. Premier FMCG would like to thank all the charities that are helping to realise our vision of a better world. Together, we can work towards creating a brighter future for all.



Since the outbreak of COVID, Premier FMCG has donated over 3,8 million loaves of bread to struggling communities to help them make ends meet. We understand that one loaf of bread can feed a family for a day.

During World Hunger Month, let’s join hands to make a difference. Donate a loaf of bread to someone in need, so together, we can help uplift the lives of people in need.




When COVID19 hit South Africa, many communities were impacted, with access to food essentials becoming an increasing challenge. Premier FMCG requested that their bakeries increase their support to the surrounding communities.

Premier’s bakery in Salt River rose to the challenge and partnered with local breweries that had the equipment to manufacture large quantities of soup. The bakery donates between 10,000 to 12,000 loaves of bread a day to local communities. This means that 90,000 – 108 000 servings of bread are provided a day to those that are in need.

As we move forward, we will continue to strive to deliver on Premier FMCG’s purpose of “our people and products making a difference in the everyday lives of our consumers” to realise the WHO 2030 goal of #ZeroHunger.



For the third year in a row, Blue Ribbon has partnered with Hot Cares community upliftment programme to donate R250,000 worth of bread that will provide nutrition to families in need on a weekly basis for the next year.

Blue Ribbon, by increasing its pledge this year, has been able to support two additional charities - Diepsloot Methodist Church Wellness and Takane Kids Academy in Bloubosrand while continuing to provide bread to Hlalisekani Creche in Kyasands, Oratile School of Excellence in Diepsloot and the Randburg Methodist Church Soup Kitchen.

Together with Hot Cares, Blue Ribbon will continue to make a real difference to the communities in which we operate by sharing that Mmmm Yum Taste.




As we kick off 2021, we would like to recognise and give thanks to the NGO’s that have partnered with us to distribute essential goods to communities in need.

Thank you to Gift of the Givers, Food Forward, the African Children’s Feeding Scheme as well as the many other charities who helped us to distribute and donate over 2.3 million loaves of bread, 300 tons of maize and wheat and over 1.8 million packs of sanitary products to those in need over the last 12 months.

Moving forward, we will continue to work with NGO’s to provide basic essentials to communities to grow together and #BeTheDifference.



This year, for Mandela Day, Premier FMCG embraced the essence of #BetterTogether by asking employees to nominate charities of their choice within the communities they work and live. Across 21 sites within South Africa, our people pulled together to collect and donate blankets, beanies, gloves and scarves and food for more than 30 charities.


Today, we would like to recognise the importance of working with our local communities and investing in what’s important to our people, across South Africa. We would like to thank all our employees that have worked tirelessly to make this happen in a time where many people are facing challenges. Nelson Mandela said, "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived; it is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead."


Premier FMCG would like to thank Gift of the Givers, the largest disaster response, non-governmental organization of Africa origin on the African Continent, for their responsiveness and flexibility during a time of crisis. Gift of the Givers historically sent out over 100,000 parcels every year. With Covid19, this number has more than tripled putting increased pressure on their infrastructure, yet they have persevered with a commitment to provide essentials food for the hungry.

As well as distributing Mageu and other food items to children’s homes, old age homes, and communities in crisis, Premier FMCG has also worked with the Gift of the Givers to distribute Lil-Lets sanitary products to government hospitals.

The combined effort of all involved has made a difference, filling tummies, providing small moments of happiness with treats, as well as making sure women are provided with sanitary essentials. Together, we believe we can all make a difference.

If you would like to make your own contribution to Gift of the Givers, go to their website https://lnkd.in/dVCg6Gm Every bit does #makeadifference


 
The donation of Mageu replaces a meal. It is nutritious and filling which makes a real difference in people’s lives”, says Gift of the Givers, Cape Town Spokesperson. Since lockdown, Premier FMCG has donated over 95,000 packs of Mageu across South Africa and in Eswatini, with the intent to fill tummies in a nourishing way.

Through partner charities such as Food Forward, ACFS, Gift of the Givers and The Red Cross, Premier FMCG has prioritised the donation of Mageu for food parcels provided to communities that are struggling to make ends meet.  


Premier FMCG recognises that it is organisations like the African Children’s Feeding Scheme (ACFS) that are best equipped to deliver food hampers to homes where food is scarce. We are committed to making a difference to families across the country, and we are committed to providing food and sanitary wear that help towards achieving this goal.

Premier’s first big donation early in April took almost a day to offload from the truck. Since then, we have been working in partnership with ACFS to provide ongoing essentials for food hampers. Sanitary products like Lil-Lets, which have become a luxury item for those who are unable to afford groceries, will continue to be a key focus of our purpose to improve the lives of women in all communities.

Premier FMCG will continue to partner with the AFCS as we believe they have the infrastructure to reach the communities that need help the most. If you would like to donate to the AFCS, go to https://acfs.org.za so that we can all be #bettertogether


“Growing Together” is at the heart of Premier’s business philosophy. It is built into everything we do. We call it the Premier Way.

In line with our purpose of nourishing and empowering communities to grow together, we have more than quadrupled our product donations to communities in need during lockdown.

We continue to support charities that receive donations from our operations around the country and have also partnered with three NGO’s that have extensive and well managed infrastructures. We believe these organisations are well placed to ensure that donations like food, mageu and sanitary products reach those that need them the most.

For Premier, we will continue to focus on growing together with our communities. This is #ThePremierWay

#PremierFMCG #GrowingTogether #SouthAfricaLockdown #EssentialServices #Iwisa #BlueRibbon #Snowflake #Lillets #Covid19 #Covid19SA #CSI #BuildingCommunities


For the second year in a row, Eswatini heritage brand, S.U.B. implemented it’s “Keep Your Kingdom Clean” program which was aimed at motivating Eswatini primary school children to keep their schools clean to build pride in their environment and nation.

The campaign was a 5-week program that’s goal was to change behaviour through functional rewards that will uplift the community. Across the Eswatini community, 15 bicycles and 5 JoJo tanks were given out each week to the cleanest schools, with each pupil in the school receiving S.U.B. branded stationery, water bottles, t-shirts and backpacks.

S.U.B. will continue to invest in the upliftment of the Eswatini community that is at the heart of this heritage brand.
Blue Ribbon and Hot Cares add hope to children in need by pledging 16,210 loaves of bread to Hlalisekani Creche in Kyasands, Oratile School of Excellence in Diepsloot and the Randburg Methodist Church soup kitchen.

Blue Ribbon, in partnership with Hot Cares, will deliver bread weekly for the second year in a row, entrenching the relationship with the communities that need a helping hand at a particularly difficult time in their life.

And while it’s important to donate bread to support the nutrition of people facing tough times, the Premier team will also contribute much needed time to add a little extra relief to the teams that keep these great initiatives going.
Blue Ribbon and Hot Cares pledge 16,210loaves of bread.
As the school year ends, Lil-Lets recognises the 10,000 lives that the brand has impacted through their CSI empowerment program that transformed the facilities and sanitation of female bathrooms in 19 government schools across KZN and Gauteng over the last two years.

Lil-Lets ongoing initiatives aim to empower young girls, teachers as well as cleaners with body and menstruation knowledge and mentoring opportunities. The Lil-Lets CSI program aims to inspire a culture of inclusivity, self-acceptance and dignity to help steer young girls on a path that provides them with the best opportunity to grow into confident and empowered young women.

Lil-Lets has undergone 70 workshops at the various schools post the upgraded facilities to empower, educate and motivate girls and teachers. In addition to these workshops, Lil-Lets has rewarded cleaners with an incentive program, as well as an in-school brand ambassador program, where young girls can represent the Lil-Lets brand and provide a support system for their fellow school mates. Lil-Lets have also included Fun Hours to celebrate the joy of being a woman in today’s society.
Transformed bathrooms in 19 government schools across KZN and Gauteng.
Add a little sweetness to this festive season by donating your very own Santa's Shoebox Premier and Manhattan Sweets are donating fifty thousand packs of sweets to the #SantaShoeBoxProject to pass the #RealSweetMoments spirit of giving on.

Join us in making a contribution to spread a little extra sweetness to underprivileged children this festive season. http://bit.ly/DonateSantaShoebox
At Premier, the yearly Sandwich Challenge is a time of generosity, camaraderie and sharing. On one memorable day, Premier employees came together to make over 80,000 sandwiches across 24 sites.

Lots of fun was had with each division designing a hat while dedicating their time to making peanut butter and jam or cheese spread fillings. Most importantly, it was for a good cause with sandwiches donated to multiple schools and charities across South Africa.

Thank you, Premier employees for your warmth, fun and kindness in donating your time!
80 000 sandwiches made by Premier staff.
Yearly Sandwich Challenge across 24 sites.
Lil-Lets and Everton Ladies enter a new exciting era that embraces the power of sports and women with a partnership between these two household brands.

Lil-Lets becomes an Official Supporter and will work alongside Everton Ladies to create engaging events and inspirational content promoting the benefits of sport and how it can make a difference to the lives of women. The partnership will also seek to tackle period poverty and reduce the stigma around periods for girls and women of all ages through education and promoting open and honest conversations.

@AaronLittle, General Manager at Everton Ladies, “We have an exciting season ahead of us, and we're delighted to kick it off with Lil-Lets as an Official Supporter. I am looking forward to seeing how we can work together to make a positive impact through the power of sport.”

@Mary Young, Marketing Director at Lil-Lets UK, “Participation in sport can make a huge difference to the life of a young girl or woman. Benefits include improved physical and mental wellbeing, body confidence and mindset as well as helping to alleviate symptoms such as period cramps. By working with Evertons’ Ladies, we hope that we can inspire girls and start relevant conversations around periods.”
Lil-Lets partners with Everton Ladies
Embracing the power of sports and women.
Blue Ribbon spreads the warmth this Winter by donating R130,000 worth of bread to feed people in Johannesburg. Through its partnership with Hotcares, Blue Ribbon delivers fresh bread on a weekly basis to 2 schools and a homeless community, feeding over 2500 children and 60 people. Hotcares and Blue Ribbon strive to improve the nutrition of the recipients so that the communities can live healthier lives with the mmmm Yumm taste of Blue Ribbon Bread.
2 500 homeless children were fed.
R130 000 worth of bread to feed people in Johannesburg.
COVID-19 Visit the COVID-19 Corona Virus South African Resources Portal here: www.sacoronavirus.co.za