South Africa’s affluent families, often vilified on social media for having excessive wealth in a country of great inequality, have been quick to respond to the Covid-19 crisis. On 23 March 2020, the Rupert and Oppenheimer families each donated R1bn to assist small businesses and their employees during this difficult time, and on 28 March the Motsepe family, in partnership with their associated companies (Sanlam, Africa Rainbow Capital, Africa Rainbow Minerals) also pledged R1bn, to help save lives and slow the advancement of SARS-CoV2, the novel coronavirus that has plunged the world into chaos. More
