UPON hearing of the COVID-19 imposed financial challenges facing the National Schools of the Arts (NSA) which threatened the school’s existence, a group of Black and women-owned businesses in the energy sector have raised close to R600 000 rand to help keep the school afloat.

Led by DLO Energy Resources Group, a wholly black, female-owned energy company, together with its partners iThokazi, Sula Energy and China Longyuan Power, the companies’ have decided to assist the National School of Arts plug part of its funding gap. 

This follows Gary Natali, the NSA’s principal’s impassioned plea for help in August; where he called for help as the school’s fundraising capacity had been affected by the national lockdown which began in late March 2020. Further, many parents have also been unable to pay the required school fees as they had either lost their jobs or were no longer earning the same salaries as prior to the lockdown.

The companies have donated nearly R600 000 to assist black students at the school that have been unable to pay their school fees. The money will also be used to help reduce the school’s energy costs and assist with hygiene measures towards the fight against COVID-19.

“As a former student of the school, I felt it necessary to assist the institution that has fostered part of the foundation of my success in business. It is very important that black business plays an active role in the education of the black child especially in these trying times when companies are cutting back on funding.” Linda Mabhena-Olagunju, the founder and director of DLO said.

Mabhena-Olagunju added that there was often the misconception that “that the school only focuses on the arts. However, I majored here as a drama student and went on to be an attorney and later a businesswoman - the school blends both the arts with the traditional academic subjects such as maths, history and so on.”

 As iThokazi we felt it very important to us as a black company to support black students, in their quest to enhance their academic and technical skills" Sakhi Dumakude, director at iThokazi said.

 Sula Energy said they came on board the project because it resonated with the company. “As a former teacher myself, I appreciate the struggles faced by public schools and felt it necessary to lend support to this worthy cause,” Pindiwe Mabhena, director at Sula Energy said.

 This project is one of the many that the group of entrepreneurs have undertaken.“We predominantly focus on the funding of students. However, we have also funded various community projects - including a health project that aims to serve up to 9 000 community members each year, providing quality and free healthcare services to the communities in the Emthonjeni and Renosterberg municipalities, with a particular focus on the youth, elderly and those with comorbidities,” Mabhena-Olagunju said.

NSA’s Natali has thanked the group for their generosity, adding that the money will help the institution keep producing top talent beyond the arts for South Africa.The NSA’s  alumni have gone on to achieve much international acclaim and boast international film star Charlize Theron as a former student. 

Mabhena-Olagunju herself has gone on to achieve great success as a businesswoman both locally and internationally, she is currently the youngest member appointed on the International Advisory Board of the University of Oxford.