Spaza shop murals spreading message about safety measures

Topical, colourful and bold — this is the impression made by Covid-19 murals painted on the walls of six spaza shops in Nelson Mandela Bay.

In an effort to educate residents in townships about the virus, Engen commissioned artists to brand 35 spaza shops across SA with personal safety measures.

Six have been completed at shops in Kwazakhele, Salamntu and Zwide, and one more is still to be done.  

Engen’s public education drive, which kick-started last week in the Eastern Cape, also saw three shops branded in East London.

Engen spokesperson Gavin Smith said the safety and hygiene messages were in several languages, and they stressed the importance of regular handwashing, social distancing, covering one’s mouth when coughing and sneezing, and regular disinfecting and cleaning of surfaces.

On Thursday, four artists started painting two spaza shops in Zwide.

They are Big House in Johnson Road and the Africa spaza shop on the corner of Njoli Road and Ngqungwana Street.

“Spaza shop owners have also been provided with safety materials, including information brochures and hand sanitiser for their own and customers’ use, as well as given training about safety and hygiene measures so that they can help educate their customers,” Smith said.

“To extend the awareness campaign and reach as many people as possible, Engen will also broadcast safety and hygiene messages on 40 digital screens in townships across Gauteng and the Western Cape.”

 Engen’s general manager of corporate strategy and communications,Khalid Latiff, said the campaign sought to raise awareness in populated areas such as townships and informal settlements, where community members did not have access to traditional media.

“We have acted with urgency in the fight against the pandemic by converting our existing platforms, which we usually use for paraffin safety messaging, into Covid-19 educational billboards,” he said.

“The refreshed spaza shop wall designs now carry easily understood messages in a variety of languages, depending on the area, and create much-needed awareness about the importance of safety and hygiene.

“This initiative also aims to provide small business sustainability support to the spaza shop owners through compensation for media space, which we hope will support their businesses by helping them with their cash flow and ensure that they are able to survive the national lockdown and prosper beyond it.”

The other spaza shops branded with Covid-19 safety messages are in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal  and the Western Cape.

“As a responsible and caring company, the safety of our customers and local communities is a priority for Engen. We hope that by communicating key safety messages and creating awareness we play continue to play our part in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic,” Latiff said.