AutoTrader Mobilises Hundreds of Learners through their #DriveChange Campaign

In September 2015, AutoTrader South Africa launched an exciting initiative to get the whole country colouring-in and donating to a very worthy cause. All across South Africa, shopping malls played host to the company’s #DriveChange campaign, which invited the public to come and colour in AutoTrader’s new line of company cars for R50 per spot. This was done with brightly coloured permanent markers sponsored by Sharpie, and the designs were created by local artists. But the #DriveChange campaign ultimately had one goal in mind: To raise enough funds to sponsor bicycles to Qhubeka*, an organisation that mobilises school children and other disadvantaged individuals who have to walk seemingly endless kilometres to get to school or work every morning. Currently, half a million South African learners walk for more than an hour each way every day, often on an empty stomach, leaving them little energy to concentrate on school and homework.

On Wednesday, 22 June 2016, an amount of 100 bicycles from AutoTrader will be handed over to the overjoyed learners at Kwabhekilanga Secondary School in Alexandra. In total, 360 bicycles will be donated, as The City of Jo’burg will donate one bicycle for each bicycle sponsored, through their Urban Scholar Bicycle Program. Learners who will participate in the program will be supported with bike safety and maintenance training by African Public Bicycles.

Tyrone Woods, AutoTrader’s Marketing Manager, will hand over the bicycles to Qhubeka.

“It gives us immense joy to help enable these kids to better themselves, and in doing so, setting themselves up for a better future. We’d also like to thank each and every person who was part of the #Drivechange campaign. This is what the spirit of Ubuntu is all about.”

Sarah Phaweni, Executive Director of Qhubeka, couldn’t be happier with the amount of lives these bicycles are about to change. Children who receive bicycles typically increase their academic performance by 25%, because of the time and effort saved getting to and from school.

“We are thankful to AutoTrader, Fluor and Tarsus, as well as City of Jo’burg, for helping us to mobilise these children with bicycles. We believe that with their new wheels, the children will indeed progress and move forward at school.”