Blog

This initiative builds on Sanlam’s long-standing investment in educational and youth development programmes – from financial literacy in schools to skills development and bursary support – reinforcing its belief that early intervention is key to unlocking a lifetime of opportunities.

The donation, equivalent to more than 100 000 pairs of school shoes, addresses a crisis affecting millions of South African children. Sanlam Corporate’s donation follows a presentation by Netcare Group Chief Executive Officer, Dr Richard Friedland, at a Sanlam conference on the social and environmental impact of the My Walk Made with Soul initiative. 

The donation is being rolled out in partnership with the Sanlam Foundation and My Walk Made with Soul, a unique collaboration between Netcare and Adcock Ingram Critical Care. This joint venture creates brand-new, high-quality school shoes from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) reclaimed from uncontaminated, safe healthcare waste such as drip bags and tubing. The drip bags and tubing are manufactured by Adcock Ingram and, after use in hospitals, collected by Netcare and recycled through the joint venture – ensuring a true closed-loop system that benefits both people and the planet.

By recycling healthcare waste into durable school shoes, the partnership not only addresses a pressing social need but also contributes to reducing the environmental burden of medical plastic. To date, the initiative has diverted hundreds of tons of PVC from landfills, giving the material a second life with lasting impacts in communities.

An estimated 1 million learners in South Africa have never owned a pair of school shoes, and 59.4% – approximately 10.1 million children – walk all the way to school every day. In KwaZulu-Natal alone, nearly half a million learners walk more than 30 minutes one way, often in worn-out or ill-fitting shoes. Research shows that 98% of children wear shoes that are too narrow and 59% wear shoes of the wrong length, with long-term consequences for their health, posture, and physical development.

Kanyisa Mkhize, CEO of Sanlam Corporate, said, “Education is one of the most powerful investments we can make, and it starts with ensuring children can reach the classroom without physical barriers. For many learners, a quality pair of shoes means they can walk to school safely, participate fully in activities, and feel a sense of pride in themselves. This is at the heart of our Age of Confidence campaign – using every lever we have to accelerate a better working South Africa, so that today’s learners can one day retire on their own terms, not at 80. That journey begins with giving them the access, dignity, and opportunity they deserve from day one, so they can develop the skills and confidence to thrive in the workforce and in life.”

Dr Nceba Ndzwayiba, Chairperson of the My Walk Made with Soul Board and Netcare’s Group Director of Human Resources and Transformation, added, “This is about more than just a pair of shoes – it is a gift of dignity, an affirmation of our belief in the dreams and bright futures of the children who receive them. It is about creating the conditions to nurture the next generation’s potential for achieving inclusive economic growth for our country with sustainable solutions that improve access to life changing opportunities. This begins in the classroom – and for too many children in our country, the journey to the classroom is more difficult because they lack suitable school shoes.”

Marietjie Rothmann, Adcock Ingram Critical Care Head of Human Capital and Board Member of My Walk Made with Soul, said:
“Sustainability sits at the heart of this partnership. By reclaiming PVC from healthcare waste, we are reducing the burden on landfills and proving that innovation can turn a challenge into an opportunity. Every shoe produced is not only a step forward for a child but also a step towards a cleaner environment. With Sanlam’s support, the scale of this positive  impact continues to grow – showing what is possible when businesses come together to protect our planet while uplifting our communities.”

The shoes will be handed over to schools selected in partnership with provincial education departments to ensure the greatest impact.

Sanlam Corporate’s broader purpose is to empower South Africans to be financially confident, secure and prosperous. By investing in the earliest stages of a person’s journey, we help build an Age of Confidence – where financial education, access, and dignity are not privileges, but the foundation of every South African’s life.