Words really cannot express how grateful we are to Pick ‘n Pay as one of our most ardent and loyal supporters. They have always gone out of their way to assist us wherever possible, and have now outdone themselves in their commitment to Gertjie, our orphaned baby rhino.

Of prime importance to the survival of this young rhino was a suitable milk substitute that would agree with him, and provide him with his daily nutritional intake. We thankfully found this in the form of a low fat milk powder, and Pick ‘n Pay have provided it for us – sponsoring 307kgs to date! They have also solicited the support of their shoppers to donate smart shopper points to the HESC for the next 2 months (either via the Smart Shopper kiosk in stores, or via the mobile app), and to drop off fat-free milk powder for Gertjie in a dedicated drop-off point in-store.

There is no disputing the massive audience that Pick ‘n Pay enjoys, and they have truly harnessed the “power of the crowd” by communicating information about Gertjie online. In-so-doing, they have not only raised awareness of this hapless young animal but also of the plight of rhino poaching at large.

Have a look at a few of their digital initiatives:

A dedicated playlist on their YouTube Channel featuring clips of Gertjie. These clips have been viewed inexcess of 15000 times!

Regular communications on their Facebook page, which has a formidable fan base of over 650 000 fans.

A blog on the story of Gertjie:

Pick ‘n Pay, you are part of our family and we are grateful for every word, picture, cent, product and idea you have so generously given to our cause.

On behalf of Gertjie, we say THANK YOU to you, and to all of your dedicated shoppers who have helped in any way!