About
Company Overview
The word Zimele is derived from the African languages Zulu and Xhosa and is translated as “to be independent” or “to stand on one’s own feet” which reflects Mondi Zimele’s overriding ethos of ‘Independence through Enterprise’.
2007 - 2012
2011 - 2015
Mondi Zimele expanded its focus to incorporate support for community-based small businesses around Mondi’s operations, which businesses were not necessarily forestry-related. Mondi Zimele’s offering extended to include forestry development support to emerging landowners and small timber growers.
2012 - 2016
Mondi Zimele formed a new fund with the Development Bank of South Africa through the Jobs Fund initiative, known as the Mondi Zimele Jobs Fund, with aims to promote job creation and economic development in Mondi’s surrounding communities through the support of emerging small business. Through this programme, Mondi Zimele provided approximately R100 million in loan funding to assist over 200 local businesses in the creation of more than 2,800 jobs.
2016 - 2019
Mondi Zimele partnered with the Department of Trade and Industry in establishing a Forestry Contractor Incubator, known as Mondi Forests Partners Program. The incubator provides business development support to emerging forestry contractors in the Mondi value chain, with a specific focus on the following five critical areas: Operational excellence, people development, customer focus, sustainable development and cutting edge innovation.
2020 - ...
South Africa’s economy contracted by a staggering 51% during the second quarter because of the coronavirus pandemic. Unemployment is in excess of 30% and most sectors are facing significant deterioration with the whole economy having contracted by 17.1% when compared with the same period in 2019. The exception is the agricultural sector which grew by 15.1% in the second quarter (Reuters News Agency, 2020).