The 2024 Sasko Siyasizana initiative kicked off with a bang, with Sasko re-committing to changing the lives of more than five million South African children by 2030 with their Play Better campaign.

In their continued efforts to create child-friendly environments through the Better-Quality Play initiative, they handed over another playground on April 5, 2024, to Emthethweni Primary Schools in KwaZulu Natal, Umlazi township.

Emthethweni Primary was the second beneficiary of the campaign this year after Kgololo Academy in Alexandra received their playground in March. The brand continues on its journey of positive play by changing the narrative about play and educating both parents and teachers about the benefits of better-quality play for children. Emthethweni Primary School was nominated by one of Sasko’s loyal customers as a befitting beneficiary of the Sasko Siyasizana campaign.

The ‘Play Better’ initiative’s focus is to positively impact 5 million children at ECD and primary schools across the country by building new playgrounds and upgrading existing ones.

Leading by example and putting care into action, Sasko has reiterated the importance of living their ‘People Who Care’, Makes Things Better slogan. The Playground Handover is a tool aimed at raising awareness about the importance of positive play and its benefits for children in communities, especially the poor ones with limited access to play areas.

The initiative, informed by insights contained in the 2022 Lego Play Well Report, reveals that the mental, physical, and emotional benefits of developmental and social play at an early age can help reduce the prevalence and impact of low self-esteem and allow children to develop life skills, fostering better cognitive development.

Sasko’s marketing director, Nomsa Khanyile, highlighted Sasko’s commitment to impacting and contributing positively to young people’s lives from an early age, as that is when children are the most vulnerable but also the most impressionable.

“While our core business is selling bread, it is equally important for us as a brand to collaborate with communities and plough into the very same communities,” says Khanyile.

“Gone are the days where everyone wants to blame our government; it is everyone’s responsibility to play a positive role in our communities and have influence. We at Sasko have rolled up our sleeves as one of South Africa’s beloved consumer brands by playing our part in improving these children’s lives. At Sasko, ‘care’ forms the basis of our commitments, and we have always been committed to caring for South African communities.

“If we could all practice kindness and improve lives on a daily basis, our children will follow suit, and they will learn that kindness isn’t about the big things; it starts with the little things,” says Nomawethu Ngadlela, Sasko marketing manager, and asks, “Can you imagine the kind of loving communities we will have?”

“As a school, we are excited and grateful to Sasko for continuously playing a positive role in our society. The playground will surely allow our kids to enjoy their break times, and we are also elated with winning the R30,000 prize money, which will be used to buy laptops for the school after our computers were stolen when the school was broken into last year. The school used to have teachers from surrounding schools, and our kids took computer classes, and I am happy that those days are coming back,” said Sibusiso Makhoba, principal of Emthethweni Primary School.