The group says that it will use its Act for Change Fund till-point donation facility to raise funds for Gift of the Givers' efforts on the ground at the affected hospitals. At the same time, it will be donating 2 000 litres of bottled water to both locations.

The Act for Change fund is well-positioned to help the public make quick and easy donations, adds the group.

Shoppers can donate towards the Johannesburg hospitals water crisis at the till point in any Shoprite, Checkers or Usave. Customers can contribute simply by asking the cashiers to add as little as R5 to their grocery purchase.

The Act For Change Fund launched in March 2016 after customers enquired how they too could help drought-stricken communities in KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State at the time.

The Shoprite Group manages the Fund on behalf of its customers and all donations will be paid over to Gift of the Givers' efforts to avert the water crisis at these Johannesburg hospitals. There are no administrative costs.

"The Shoprite Group is consistently among the first to respond to disasters of this nature and we're immensely grateful to the Gift of the Givers who are working tirelessly on the ground to avert a disaster," says Sanjeev Raghubir, the group's sustainability manager.

"We would also like to urge our customers who haven't yet donated to the Act for Change fund to do so at their local Shoprite, Checkers or Usave store," concludes Raghubir. 

For more information, visit www.shoprite.co.za. You can also follow the Shoprite Group on Facebook or on Twitter