Amsterdam, 20 May 2010 - Heineken International today announced two new community projects in South Africa: the launch of a mobile health care clinic to help improve access to basic health care in the Midvaal area near Johannesburg and support for a new business training initiative for existing and former athletes.
"Our involvement in these projects will provide much needed support and assistance to the local community in which we operate here in South Africa," said Tom de Man, Regional President Heineken Africa & Middle East. "Since we started brewing at the Sedibeng Brewery in September 2009 we have been able to drive economic value to the local community. Now through both these initiatives we can deliver significant social benefits as well."
"We have welcomed the construction of the Sedibeng Brewery and the contribution it is making to the economic growth of our country," said Timothy Nast, Mayor of Midvaal. "Importantly, our community is also benefiting from positive activities such as the mobile medical clinic and the education programme. We embrace these initiatives as they are helping to strengthen our community today and for the future."
The initiatives of Heineken and the Heineken Africa Foundation[1] support the company's long term sustainability ambition, 'Brewing a Better Future', which was launched in April and is characterised by setting clear targets for all aspects of its operations and delivering positive social impacts across the business.
Specific details of each of the initiatives announced at the Sedibeng Brewery today, include:
1) Mobile Health Care Clinic for Midvaal community
The Heineken Africa Foundation has joined forces with the Midvaal Local Municipality to provide a mobile health clinic ensuring basic health care is widely available in the Midvaal Municipal area. The Sedibeng Brewery is responsible for the maintenance of the mobile clinic to ensure it provides a reliable service.
The mobile clinic aims to reach vulnerable groups and patients who have difficulty getting to and from established clinics. Most of these people live in informal settlements in a distance of over 15 kilometres from an established clinic.
The vehicle is equipped to dispense general health services including prenatal care, family planning, well-child services, youth care, chronic diseases treatment, acute primary care, as well as HIV Counselling and Testing and the distribution of anti-retroviral medication. It is expected to benefit approximately 1,250 patients a month.
2) Business Training Workshop For Existing and Former Athletes
Heineken is sponsoring a two-day business workshop (20, 21 May 2010) for 100 candidates, designed by the Johan Cruyff Institute for Sport Studies and facilitated by the South Africa Football Players Union (SAFPU) and the University of Johannesburg. As a sponsor of big global sporting events like the UEFA Champions League and the Rugby World Cup, Heineken feels a genuine commitment to bring positive change for South African athletes and to help improve their job prospects.
The training helps athletes develop leadership skills and indentify business opportunities, in order to be able to build a productive future through education and serve the best interests of sport and society. Athletes in South Africa currently have limited options to make a transition from sports to an economically viable career.
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Editorial information:
Heineken is one of the world's great brewers and is committed to growth and remaining independent. The brand that bears the founder's family name - Heineken - is available in almost every country on the globe and is the world's most valuable international premium beer brand. The Company's aim is to be a leading brewer in each of the markets in which it operates and to have the world's most valuable brand portfolio. The Company operates 140 breweries in more than 70 countries and sold 165.7 million hectolitres of beer on a 2009 pro-forma basis. Heineken is Europe's largest brewer and the world's third largest by volume. Heineken is committed to the responsible marketing and consumption of its more than 200 international premium, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. These include Amstel, Birra Moretti, Cruzcampo, Dos Equis, Foster's, Kingfisher, Newcastle Brown Ale, Ochota, Primus, Sagres, Sol Star, Strongbow, Tecate, Tiger and Zywiec. On a 2009 pro-forma basis, including FEMSA's beer businesses, revenue totalled €16.9 billion and EBIT (beia) was €2.3 billion. The average number of people employed is more than 75,000. Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares are listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on the Reuter Equities 2000 Service under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. Most recent information is available on Heineken's home page: http://www.heinekeninternational.com .
In South Africa Heineken operates through Brandhouse. Brandhouse Beverages (Pty) Ltd was formed on 1 July 2004 as a joint venture between Diageo, Heineken International and Namibia Breweries Ltd. It is South Africa's leading premium drinks company with an unrivalled portfolio of brands across the spirits, beer and cider categories. These include Johnnie Walker, J&B, Smirnoff, Bell's, Baileys, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Amstel, Heineken, Windhoek, Foundry, and Guinness among others.
For more information about brandhouse, its people, and brands visit www.brandhouse.co.za.
