Mastercard & Pick n Pay partner to launch ‘Click to Feed’ initiative

By Pavithra R

Global technology company Mastercard has announced partnering with Pick n Pay’s Feed the Nation and FoodForward SA to launch a “Click to Feed” initiative that enables its cardholders to donate meals to those who are in need.

Through the partnership, until 31st December 2020. every time a customer pays for their Pick n Pay online shop using their Mastercard, 30 meals will be donated to vulnerable communities on behalf of the customer at no extra cost by Mastercard. FoodForward SA will distribute the donated meals to more than 1,000 beneficiary organisations across South Africa.

Earlier in 2018, Mastercard partnered with Pick n Pay and FoodForward SA for ‘Tap to Feed’ campaign where a meal will be donated for every contactless payment made in Pick n Pay stores. The new “Click to Feed” initiative is built on this partnership.

“With the support of our cardholders, we managed to donate over 1.5 million meals in 2018 to help fight hunger and reduce poverty in South Africa. This year, we aim to have greater impact and donate two million meals to support South Africa’s recovery from the devasting economic and health impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is a Priceless Cause we know many people hold close to their hearts, and together, we can do more to be a force for good and make a real difference in people’s lives,” said Suzanne Morel, country manager at Mastercard, South Africa.

According to a recent survey by NIDS-CRAM researchers, 1 in 5 respondents reported that someone in their household went hungry while 1 in 7 said that a child had gone hungry in the last week. For the initiative to be successful, Pick n Pay online shoppers need to enter their relevant Mastercard card details when paying for their online shop, confirm the transaction with a One Time Password (OTP) from their bank, and the payment and donation are made automatically.

“Feed the Nation has helped provide millions of meals since lockdown started and this was made possible through the support of customers, organisations and beneficiaries. The need to form partnerships to feed our nation is now greater than at the start of lockdown, and we are honoured to partner with Mastercard on this great initiative. Through this initiative, customers will be able to make a difference by simply using their Mastercard to pay for their online shop, and by doing so, will contribute to making a difference in the many communities that are in need,” said Suzanne Ackerman-Berman, transformation director at Pick n Pay.

Recently, Mastercard & Ministry of Innovation & Technology signed MoU to expedite Ethiopia’s digital transformation.

Established since 1966, Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. The firm is committed to building a more inclusive digital economy that works for everyone. It is also making Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) central to its business model. Mastercard expects to donate a maximum of 2 million meals over the campaign period.