Moti Group ventures into philanthropy
BUSINESS REPORTER
The Moti Group has established a philanthropy project as the private, black-owned investment holding company targets social upliftment.
The new venture African HERO focuses on healthcare, education, and retail operations.
Recycled and renovated to create fit-for-purpose, ready-made clinics and schools, this project aims to deploy hundreds of reimagined shipping containers across sub-Saharan Africa over the next few years, marking a key milestone in the company’s ambitious plans for the continent, said Moti Group CEO Dondo Mogajane.
“African HERO offers a practical solution for infrastructure delivery that can be transported essentially anywhere across the continent – even in under serviced rural areas where there is little or no pre-existing infrastructure,” he said.
“Our shipping containers are portable, modular, and come fully integrated with cutting-edge technologies, providing holistic one-stop facilities for education and healthcare at a fraction of the cost of traditional buildings. And on top of being highly durable, they are also eco-friendly, recycling containers that are no longer in use to provide essential community services.”
It has already begun its roll-out in Zimbabwe with eight new clinics planned within the next two months, and the group has also entered discussions with potential partners in South Africa and Botswana, said Mogajane, a former director of National Treasury South Africa.
In stark contrast to traditional construction and infrastructure delivery timelines of 10 to 12 months, African HERO facilities require three weeks for construction and implementation, resulting in significantly quicker turnaround times for fast impact. And in addition to being more affordable than traditional brick-and-mortar buildings, these clinics and schools are maintained through private sector funding, which avoids placing added demands on public sector capex.
This is especially important given the difficult economic environment countries are facing balanced against the vast social needs seen across the continent, Mogajane said.
The Unesco Institute for Statistics reveals that more than one in five children between the ages of six and eleven years in sub-Saharan Africa are not in school.
Mogojane works together with executive director Mikaeel Moti, a business expert responsible for building two multimillion-rand organisations by the age of 20.
Statistics show that progress in advancing healthcare across the continent remains slow as a result of inadequate health investments and programmes. According to a 2022 World Health Organisation survey, Africa offers just 1.55 health workers (including physicians, nurses and midwives) for every 1,000 people, compared to the recommended 4.45 health workers needed to ensure adequate provision of essential health services.
The disruptions to vital immunisation programmes during the Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in mass outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, while maternal and infant mortality rates remain far above global targets.
Estimates show that at the current levels of investment, 390 women will die in childbirth for every 100,000 live births by 2030 compared to the global average of 211, or the European average of just 13 deaths.
“As a proudly African company ourselves, we felt that African businesses best understand the obstacles which have slowed the pace of socio-economic development, as well as the needs of local communities,” Mogajane said.
