Rally to Read
An initiative that provides literacy resources and teachers’ training and support, empowers teachers and students to increase literacy levels in rural schools around the country. With the pandemic during 2020, we were unable to personally deliver reading material and resources, however they were delivered to through the READ Foundation. During this year, SASA was able to sponsor three schools with the material within the KZN-Berg region. Over and above the reading material, SASA donated Suzuki branded buffs to the learners, educators and staff of two of these schools. The Rally to Read resonates with SASA’s way of life to uplift reading in our schools and communities and promote the good of education in our lives and schools at large.
Filmgro Driving Academy
Having a driving license in the film and TV industries is often the DEAL MAKER or DEAL BREAKER when it comes working on productions and in production companies. The programme enables young students and trainees the opportunity to obtain their driver’s licences for free, by providing professional driving lessons at the FREE FILMGRO DRIVING ACADEMY at ATLANTIC FILM STUDIOS. Students are accompanied with a professional driving instructor in the S-Presso.
During 2020, SASA continued its partnership with the Academy with the loan of a Suzuki S-Presso. It was during this time that The FILMGRO DRIVING ACADEMY enabled its 40th driving license victory. With the COVID pandemic, only 10 new licenses were achieved due to their lockdown period of between March and October 2020.
Kalahari Endangered Ecosystem Project (KEEP)
The Kalahari Endangered Ecosystem Project (KEEP) is a project which is responsible for studying the effects of climate change in Africa. Suzuki Auto South Africa continued with supporting this project as it aligns the brand with a cause which is close to the hearts of many Suzuki customers. For a second year, the project team was sponsored with two Vitara GLX All Grip models which were used by students, researchers and professors of various institutions to track animals and collect data within the 110 000 HA Tswalu Kalahari Reserve. Traversing the terrain at Tswalu, particularly in the dunes, required 4×4 vehicles. The vehicles were the perfect contribution to investigating responses of Kalahari organisms, across trophic levels, to environmental change. The brand benefitted by association of our sponsorship as all findings and teachings were shared at various public talks, various blogs as well as activities held at the Oppenheimer Research Conference, the Zoological Society of South Africa Conference, workshops on Thermal Biology and Climate Change. During the COVID pandemic and lockdown periods, Suzuki was proud to be associated when Tswalu Kalahari joined Wild Earth for one of its fireside chats to talk about the link between the research and sustainable conservation. Live safaris by WildEarth, shown via YouTube, Facebook and DSTV television have featured the reserve with numerous references to K.E.E.P. The show became hugely popular worldwide in 2020 following the COVID lockdowns.
SA Guide Dogs Association
SASA donated a Swift 1.2 GLX to the South African Guide Dog Association for their 2019 raffle ticket to win the car at the end of the year. This is the fourth year that SASA has supported this project. The South African Dogs Association for the Blind provides independence, mobility and companionship and various core services, such as guide dogs, Autism Support Dogs, Service Dogs and Orientation & Mobility Dogs. Due to COVID and lockdown periods, the association had a decline of 50% in ticket sales and managed to only raise just under R400 000 for the organisation. SASA again adopted puppy, named Akari by our social media fan base.
Suzuki Auto South Africa Marine Clean-Up Campaign
Suzuki Marine dealers have had 3 Clean-Up campaigns last year which all took place at various Suzuki Dealer Areas, Gauteng Canoe & Kayak, Suzuki Walvis Bay in Namibia and Suzuki Marine Zambia.
The first campaign was held in Gauteng by Canoe and Kayak, the event took place on the 07-10 July 2020, Julie and Robbie Herreveld from Canoe & Kayak World along with local resident John Moran, cleaned up a 3km stretch of coastline leaving only their footprints behind. They ferried the 38 large garbage bags across the Laaipek Harbour mouth to the Harbour Masters Building.
Suzuki Marine Walvis Bay Clean-Up campaign took place on the 06th March 2021 where the Suzuki Marine Dealer and Boat clubs gathered to clean the ocean. They managed to fill up the 17 bags full of garbage collected out of sea.
Clubs that participated on this day are as follows:
– Suzuki Marine South Africa
– Skeleton Coast Marine Services.
– Walvis Bay Diving
– Laramon Dolphin Tours
– Walvisbay Yacht Club
– Walvisbay municipality
– Erongo News paper
– Namiba Times
– Theo and Buddy from the Walvisbay Yacht Club
Suzuki Zambia had their Clean–Up campaign in March on the Lower Zambezi which was a huge success. Over the course of one morning, they managed to fill over 20 large bin bags and 3 large sacks with rubbish collected from the water and the river banks.
Suzuki Road Safety Track Day
Suzuki Motorcycle’s hosted a Road safety track day out at Red Star Raceway. The aim of this day was to create specific awareness to road safety for motorcyclists and for vehicles to be aware of motorcyclists.
The day was run by the Suzuki Motorcycle team with Stuart Baker conducting the class room session where safety aspects such as “line choice, driver behaviors cornering, braking and general road safety awareness” was discussed.
From the classroom the riders were divided into groups according to rider ability and the rest of the motorcycle team led the riders on the track where they riders were shown lines and braking points etc.
Over all the day was a huge success and a step in the right direction with regards to road safety and awareness.
PIC1 : Class room session
PIC2 : Pit Lane
Pic3 : Track entry
CMA Rider Academy – Biker Rider Training
Suzuki Motorcycles South Africa is passionate about motorcycle sports and adventure, that’s why it is of paramount importance that we introduce the safety aspect of motorcycle riding.
Our partnership with the CMA Rider Academy Bike Rider training ensures that we will deliver our promise to train our older and younger generations of riders about the importance of safety when riding on any motorcycle. The latest Suzuki Motorcycles host a range of safety and technology features that ensure all our riders are safe when participating.
While learning to ride, the potential customer also gets to experience Suzuki products and is hopefully able to purchase one of our products once they have completed their rider training. Suzuki Motorcycles sponsor and supply the bikes and scooters needed for training purposes at the venue.
The CMA Rider Academy training instructors are volunteer-based and all instructors boast many years of riding experience. The Rider Training Academy caters for the absolute beginner to advanced rider training. Suzuki Motorcycles South Africa is proud to be associated with the CMA Rider Academy and seeing new riders develop on our product is a winner.
The CMA Rider academy is an ongoing project and courses happen once a month.
Pic 1: Look where you want to go instruction
Pic 2: The Suzuki sponsored motorcycle fleet
Pic 3: Clutch and braking control
Scouts South Africa:
The Springbok Scout room at Gilwell is a lounge where all the scouts from the Gauteng region that have earned their National colours in Scouting get to keep their log books and they also get to use this room exclusively along with Adult Scout leaders for meetings and social functions.
The room and more importantly the scout log book cupboard were in desperate need of a refurbishment and a good clean up.
This is where Suzuki South Africa stepped in and sponsored new flooring and bits for the room along with assisting with a new cupboard for the scout log books. Scouts South Africa were highly appreciative of the new refurbished room.
PIC 1 and 2 : before
Pic 3 : after
Pic 4 : new cupboard
Suzuki Auto South Africa