The Stellenbosch-based clothing brand, Stellies Authentic Clothing, will be donating 50 percent of their online profits to the Solidarity Fund until 16 April.
This comes after the brand was inspired by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation, on 23 March, where he announced the country’s nationwide lockdown, said Chris Delport, chief operations officer for Stellies Authentic Clothing. During the address, the President called for South Africans to contribute to the Solidarity Fund, which supports vulnerable South Africans during the Covid-19 crisis.
The local brand’s management was encouraged by Ramaphosa’s strong and decisive action against the spread of the virus and felt that the president’s leadership deserved praise and support, Delport said.
“To us, it was irrefutable that this was a cause bigger than ourselves that we had to get behind. If our president can take strong, swift action – so can we,” said Delport.
A still from the local brand’s most recent campaign. PHOTO: Stellies Instagram.
According to Delport, he and Jacques De Villiers, CEO of the brand, have always had a desire to do good and are constantly searching for ways to make a significant and positive impact on South Africa and its people.
“[I]n this case, we saw an opportunity and decided to make the jump,” said Delport.
The brand is excited about contributing to the Solidarity Fund and hopes that this decision to donate will showcase what the company stands for, De Villiers said.
“It’s a way of making our slogan [live the life you’ll always remember] come alive,” added De Villiers.
The decision to donate is a wonderful initiative that showcases Stellies Authentic Clothing’s success as a business, said Kaitlin Hurter, the brand’s photographer.
“It’s a way of asking people to still support the brand,” said Hurter.
The brand’s team hopes that their initiative will inspire other businesses – that are able to – to also do their part in fighting the spread of Covid-19 and working to keep the economy stimulated, said Delport.
“[W]e must as a nation stand united against the spread of the virus and do what we can to support those worst affected,” added Delport.
A photo from the brand’s Facebook page announcing their decision to donate. PHOTO: Stellies Facebook
Helping despite concerns
Retail is likely one of the worst affected industries during the Covid-19 crisis, as high volumes of stock are not moving, according to Delport.
“Even online retail is in a major crunch, not only because orders can only be fulfilled after lockdown, but because the market is for the most part frightened,” added Delport.
Nevertheless, the brand is not allowing fear to stop them from helping those most impacted by the effects of Covid-19, he said.
There will always be reasons to be afraid, said Delport. “Fear is not fertile ground for a brand with a slogan like [ours],” he said.
The brand announced the decision to donate on their social media and website.