Source: Sappi
As a company that celebrates its 85th year in South Africa, Sappi embraces all things South African and celebrates Heritage Day annually to promote the unity and diversity in our country. The day, first proclaimed by former president Nelson Mandela to repeal the laws that limited cultural expression and association, provides an important opportunity for South Africans to celebrate their diverse cultures and customs; languages and religions.
Image Credit : Sebastian Hermann | Unsplash
Starting out as the South African Pulp and Paper Industries (SAPPI) with its first acquisition – a company that made paper from Straw at the Enstra Paper mill in Springs 1936 – today Sappi Limited has grown into a leading global provider of powerful everyday materials made from woodfibre-based renewable resources.
As diversified as its range of products, so too, the company prides itself on employing a diverse range of more than 5 000 employees in Southern Africa, bringing not only their particular brand of expertise and knowledge to making Sappi a successful company; but also bringing their particular culture, customs and special attributes to make us a diverse, but unified workforce, that is proudly South African.
Proudly diverse and representative
Sappi strives to celebrate and welcome all people at Sappi-no matter their age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical ability, race, sexual orientation or spiritual practice. Its transformation journey has been very successful, with the company achieving and exceeding its five-year targets during 2020, and already well on the way to achieving its 2025 targets. The company is proud to have almost doubled the number of female employees in senior management positions and is also showing a steady positive trend in employment equity in junior management and skilled positions.
Reaching out to communities
Sappi Forests also reached out to is neighbouring communities and continued with its porridge donations to creches and schools in the area, exemplifying yet another truly South African tradition of Ubuntu. The ECD practitioners, who received their Sappi-sponsored training at TREE (Training & Resources in Early Education) at the Masibambisane Crèche near Richmond in KwaZulu-Natal were delighted to receive the much needed porridge from Sappi whilst the young children were enjoying their Heritage Day celebrations.
Image credit: Sappi ,Masibambisane Creche Heritage Day donation.
