Working TOGETHER

Working TOGETHER

Viv McMenamin, CEO of Mondi South Africa, takes a look at leadership in unprecedented times

The Covid pandemic has presented extraordinary challenges across the globe. For businesses in South Africa, it became clear quite early on, that this was going to be a period that would be testing for all and that we would need to work together through unchartered territory.

In times like these, leadership, values and collaboration matter. I have been able to draw upon my own leadership learning and experience and have reflected deeply on the values that anchor me.

I am especially grateful to have had the opportunity to work closely with Nelson Mandela early on in my leadership journey. There are two clear things I learnt under his iconic leadership on how to handle a crisis. The first is, when things get tough, your messages need to be clear and simple. The second is, no matter how tough it is for us, we need to reach out and support others. His call of, “It is in your hands to make our world a better one for all” has been an inspiration to me and has influenced my leadership thinking.

At Mondi, we recognise the need for strong, focused, inclusive and caring

leadership, and we have used this as a basis for our extensive Covid response across Mondi South Africa. Our top priority is to safeguard our employees and the communities in which we operate. We continue to implement best practice Covid-19 health and safety protocols throughout our operations and have a responsibility to provide an ongoing supply of materials to our customers, many of

whom produce food and hygiene products.

We are also collaborating to support small businesses, as the tough economic recession has had a significant impact on these businesses.

Mondi Zimele, the small business development arm of Mondi South Africa, has offered various forms of assistance to our small business suppliers since March, including financial support at discounted

interest rates, to help ensure the sustainability partners critical to our value chain. This business support has helped some of our Mondi contractors, suppliers and small businesses to continue operating during and after the phased re-opening of the lockdown. Feedback so far has been very positive.

In addition, we facilitated the provision of simplified information on how to access

We recognise the need for strong, focused, inclusive and caring leadership

the government’s relief process and assisted with the completion of submissions. When we identified a need for 10 000 face masks in our forestry business, we asked Mondi Zimele to find a solution involving small businesses. They selected a small rural business employing four women. To fulfil the order, 40 additional people were contracted to produce the masks, many of whom were either pensioners or unemployed people.

This cash injection provided income to the families and will help pay for equipment, material and possible expansion of the enterprise. Mondi Zimele is also assisting with training, registration of businesses and compliance support.

It is uncertain how the pandemic will develop or the full impact on the economy. However, what we are certain of is that in times like this, standing together, supporting small businesses, is essential for the economy and for society as a whole.

ABOVE: ACCORDING TO VIV MCMENAMIN, CEO OF MONDI SOUTH AFRICA, IT IS IN TIMES LIKE THESE THAT LEADERSHIP, VALUES AND COLLABORATION MATTER.

ABOUT MONDI

Mondi South Africa is a pulp and paper company with 250 000 hectares of forestry operations and mills in Richards Bay and Durban, producing a range of products from tissue paper to pharmaceuticals and photocopy paper. The company employs

1 500 people and has more than 4 000 contractors. Mondi Zimele, established in 2007, is a small business development organisation accelerating black economic empowerment in the forestry value chain. In 2012, the focus expanded to incorporate support for community-based small businesses around Mondi’s operations. Since 2012, Mondi Zimele has provided in the region of R100-million in loan funding to assist over 200 businesses in the creation of more than 2 800 jobs.

ONE CORPORATE’S RESPONSE TO COVID

Donated 100 000 N95 medical-grade masks to protect frontline healthcare workers in KwaZulu-Natal. Provides assistance to small businesses through

Mondi Zimele. Funded food parcels for 2 000 families as part of the Masidle (let’s eat) programme. Installed 40 additional JoJo tanks in rural communities in the region and supplied over half a million litres of water to these communities during the lockdown. Provided 14 mobile health clinics and 48 other health facilities with medical supplies and equipment.

Rural high school, maths and science students were able to download and take their study material home free through the Ligbron partnership-enabled online eLearning platform.