Clean water for drinking and cooking is was provided by Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Limited to some 3 000
residents of the relief camps on company land, via mobile water tanks
The lower Shire Valley area was the most affected by regional cyclonic activity which commenced in mid-
January and brought with it heavy rains to the area amounting to around 550 mm, representing almost
three times the long term mean for the month. More than 250 people lost their lives and in excess of
250 000 people were displaced in what was described as the worst floods since 1967.
While relief assistance was provided by the government supported by a range of NGOs, including Medicins
Sans Frontiers (MSF), the Red Cross, UNICEF and others, the staff and family members of Illovo Sugar
(Malawi) Limited (“Illovo Malawi”) also worked closely with the Malawi government in their relief operations
and offered various types of assistance which included:
Providing company-owned land at Nchalo for three relief camps housing around 3 000 displaced
people;
Supplying clean water to the camp inhabitants (at Sekeni in the Lower Shire region) as well as
medical services where these are required;
Making donations of tarpaulins (used for making shelters), sugar, five tons of maize and sizeable
cash contributions for relief efforts, and also providing electricity to the various camps via standby
generators;
Providing access to the company’s air strip for the Malawi Defence Force as a base for rescue
operations and for their accommodation needs.
Aside from other substantial relief efforts, Illovo Malawi contributed to relief funds in order to assist flood
victims.
In South Africa, Illovo’s continued support of smaller but meaningful corporate social investment projects
is illustrated by the continuing positive impact our interventions are having on the local community at
Sobantu, a small urban settlement adjacent to our sugar warehouse and distribution centre at
Pietermaritzburg. From the time of construction commencement:
Illovo has upgraded and supported the local crèche which had not been maintained due to the
lack of funds. Vital services were reinstated, the building was refurbished and during the 2014/15
season, the upgrade was completed with the provision of teaching aides, tables and chairs, and
other classroom equipment, together with fridges and freezers to cater for the 100 children
housed at the crèche;
