Puma Energy road safety ambassador, Phillip Kekana, who is also South Africa’s first black SA Motor Racing Champion (2002), today hosted 50 children from Diepsloot at the first open day of the 2018 Festival of Motoring at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit.
As part of Puma Energy’s corporate social responsibility programme at the Festival of Motoring, children were taken through an interactive workshop with Kekana where they learned core road safety principles, such as “see and be seen”, “don’t run in the road”, “don’t play in the road” and “look both ways before crossing the road”.
Phillip Kekana said: “Many of South Africa’s most vulnerable children walk between five to 10 kilometres per day to school during peak hours when roads are very busy. Children’s safety on the street must be a national priority because far too many children are killed by motor vehicles every year.”
Soweto-born Kekana, also known as “The Township Tornado”, travels the country as a road safety campaigner, inspiring children about his incredible journey from township boy to stunt driver and racing champion. As a racing car driver, he has built his career on mastering safety and self-control around motor vehicles.
Puma Energy, the global, integrated midstream and downstream oil company, is the official fuel sponsor of the 2018 Festival of Motoring and is providing motoring enthusiasts with track tour experiences with Phillip Kekana, utilising the company’s newly launched PumaMax 95 additised fuel.
Seggie Kistasamy, General Manager for Puma Energy South Africa said: “Given the industry we are in, we seek to mitigate any impact or risks posed by our operations by focusing on improving road safety, as well as taking measures to limit dangers in every community where we do business. Together we can make a difference and improve road safety statistics in South Africa and the broader continent.”
The Puma Energy Foundation collaborates with the international NGO Amend to improve road safety across Africa in 10 countries. During the Festival of Motoring, Puma Energy is reinforcing its initiative around road safety as part of its corporate social responsibility programme, which is making an impact across Africa.
[Photos by Blake Woodhams]