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Sun International donates more than R2 million to the Solidarity Fund
19 June 2020
The Sun International Group has announced that it has paid over R2 million to the Solidarity Fund for Covid-19 health and humanitarian relief, with the help of more than 15000 of its loyalty programme members pledging to donate their leisure points.
At the start of the nationwide lockdown, Sun International closed its doors and froze all leisure and casino points accumulated by its Most Valued Guests (MVG) from the start of the nationwide lockdown. The points are valued at R1 each and are redeemed at any of the Group’s hotel or leisure destinations.
Sun International Chief Executive Anthony Leeming said, “We were considering practical ways to respond to the crisis when a number of our MVGs asked us to set up a charity fund to which they could contribute. The points represent a hard cost to us that we would have to pay over to whichever property they are redeemed at, so it made sense to divert the rand value of donated points to the Solidarity Fund instead.”
He added: “Right now we are all focused on fighting Covid-19, but a bigger economic battle is looming. The hospitality, gaming and leisure industry has been particularly hard hit, so the economic hardships facing smaller businesses and individuals resonates deeply with us. We applaud the many MVGs who responded with compassion and generosity.”
Interim Chief Executive of the Solidarity Fund, Nomkhita Nqweni, expressed her gratitude to Sun International and its Most Valued Guests.
“It is through the collective efforts of contributors like Sun International and their 15 000 customers that enables the Solidarity Fund to support the national health response, contribute to humanitarian relief efforts and mobilise South Africans to drive a united response to the Covid-19 crisis. This generous donation will directly benefit those impacted by the pandemic and help the Solidarity Fund to make a real difference by providing Personal Protective Equipment to our frontline health workers, testing kits and food relief to vulnerable communities, amongst other important initiatives,” said Nqweni.
Sun International is amongst six loyalty programmes who have donated to the Solidarity Fund by allowing its members to pledge their reward points and is, as it stands, the only hotel and casino group to do so.
