Restaurant Association of South Africa and SAB to host vaccination activation for restaurant industry as businesses open up
The Restaurant Association of South Africa (RASA), in partnership with the South African Breweries (SAB) will be hosting a vaccination activation for the restaurant industry in Sandton from today, 15 November to 17 November 2021. The activation will be held at Luca’s Restaurant, Sandton Central, from 9am to 2pm. So far, 200 restaurants have been invited with the hope of vaccinating 600 people by the third and final day. This is also in a bid to mitigate the ongoing closures of restaurants across the country.
RASA’s list of restaurant closures exceeds 1 000 so far and COVID-19 is among the biggest contributors to closures. The effects don't just stop at restaurant owners, though, as it impacts the staff at those restaurants who sometimes only work a few hours a day to get by. It also impacts service providers such as food and alcohol suppliers who rely on restaurants for their businesses to stay afloat.
“Restaurant closures are such a huge blow to the economy because they bring about a sense of community with our local watering holes, a sense of familiarity, and a large part of what makes a city or town attractive to live in, says Wendy Alberts, Director at RASA. “Communities are indeed built on food and a good local restaurant can make a huge difference for a town of any size, especially for attracting visitors. We need to get vaccinated so that our industry can thrive again.” RASA’s needs are clear and the restaurant industry is indeed a cornerstone of South Africa’s economy.
This partnership with SAB forms part of its ongoing efforts to accelerate vaccinations in South Africa. As a pro-vaccination company, SAB sees vaccination as a necessary driver of South Africa’s economic recovery from the ongoing pandemic. While it is committed to opening up our economy, nightlife, and food and drink industries, the business understand that this is dependent on many factors – one of them being responsibility towards our country’s most vulnerable.
“Vaccinations are not only about protecting yourself, but also those around you. The more people vaccinate, the closer we are to ensuring that the restrictions that come from lockdowns stop being a hindrance to economic recovery and a threat to lives and livelihoods.” says for Zoleka Liza, VP of Corporate Affairs at SAB
Since the onset of its vaccination rollout, SAB has encouraged the country to be responsible and get their shot through their partnership with the Department of Health and traditional leaders, this move has seen SAB has been play its part in encouraging vaccinations to move South Africa to #TakeDecemberBack.
Former Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau, who also delivered a speech added that it is important for everyone to not believe fake news about he vaccination and he encouraged the public to go their nearest vaccination facility for more information “the only way we will win on accelerating vaccination is our country is for everyone to not engage in misinformation about the vaccination and equip themselves with the right information”, he says.
The initiative will also be supported by other partners such as Gauteng Tourism Authority, , Luca’s Restaurant, Discovery SA, Vida Caffe, Redbull and Aspen Health.
