Nearly 60,000 South Africans from all corners of the country took to the streets and trails for the SPAR Women’s Virtual Challenge on 4 September. The event not only encourages healthier lifestyles through exercise but also raises money for a very worthy cause.

The SPAR Women’s Virtual Challenge was launched in 2020 as a homage to South African women’s resilience and strength amidst the uncertainty and strife brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a virtual event, there were no geographic boundaries to the race, while participants could decide on their location, route, pace, and whether to do it alone or as a community. Trending throughout the weekend, the hashtags #LiveLimitless and #SPARVirtualChallenge painted a vivid picture of South Africans’ zest for life.

By entering this year’s SPAR Virtual Women’s Challenge, participants made a tangible difference in the lives of young girls. For every entry, a pack of sanitary pads will be donated to help keep a girl in school through the SPAR Petals Project. The Project advocates for a shame-free education for all young women. This contribution will help to remove the limitations that girls feel during menstruation and show them that there is no area in their life in which they cannot #LiveLimitless. The entries for this year’s event, in addition to individual donations, will enable SPAR to donate 110,000 sanitary packets towards the Petals Project.

The SPAR Women’s Virtual Challenge is proving to be a popular addition to the annual racing calendar. It is expected to grow and help communities to break down barriers and #LiveLimitless.

Source: SPAR South Africa

Read more about SPAR in South Africa.

About SPAR South Africa

SPAR South Africa was established in 1963 and operates four retail formats: SPAR, SPAR Express (operated in conjunction with Shell as a petrol forecourt store), KWIKSPAR (which focuses on convenience in city centres and high footfall locations) and SUPERSPAR (similar to EUROSPAR in offer).

South Africa was the first country outside of Europe to join the SPAR organisation. The SPAR Group Ltd South Africa grants sub-licences to independent retailers to operate stores under one of the four formats. Almost all the current store portfolio is independently owned.