Helping communities in response to COVID-19

In the past, Deloitte member firms around the world hosted Impact Days, or annual days of service. We’ve reimagined our approach to giving back in response to COVID-19. Focusing on Impact Everyday, Deloitte has provided lifesaving supplies to essential workers on the front lines; donated airline ticket balances that enabled medical professionals to travel to treat patients; and provided additional support to organisations with which Deloitte collaborates through WorldClass to help the 1.5 billion children whose education has been impacted by lockdowns.

At an organisation-wide level, Deloitte donated to the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and invested about US$20 million toward COVID-19 related relief efforts.

Our people in the Africa firm also stepped up to respond to the overwhelming need for help in our local communities, donating time or money, and in some cases producing much needed medical supplies or combatting food insecurity, as well as assisting families with home-based learning. Individuals in our organisation, moved by the inequalities that COVID-19 exposed, initiated projects to support the most vulnerable communities cope with the upheaval brought on by the virus.

For example:

Deloitte trainees in the Deloitte Audit & Assurance service line and their managers participated in the JACASS (Johannesburg Article Clerks Association) drive to support a number of charities with feeding 183 families during COVID-19. Among all the JACASS members, a total of R188,900 was raised and spread across three charities:

1. The Boost Africa Foundation

www.boostafrica.com

2. Feed SA

www.feedsa.co.za

3. Tshepang Care Centre

www.facebook.com/pages/category/

Nonprofit-Organization/Tshepang-carecentre

While everyone has been affected by the pandemic, SMEs in particular (i.e. 95% of all African businesses) have been badly hit. At a time when 75% of African SMEs experienced reduced sales due to COVID-19, the Africa Consulting Millennial Council started an initiative that aims to assist small businesses to successfully navigate these uncertain times.

For last year’s Impact Everyday initiative, Deloitte hosted free technical workshops for 100 qualifying SMEs across Africa to help them adapt and recover from the economic disruption caused by the pandemic. The workshops addressed four key impact areas:

1. Navigating government regulations and policies

2. Gaining access to markets

3. Addressing workforce challenges

4. Exploring finance and financing options