The year 2020 has been a challenge, not just for South Africans but for people around the world. Many businesses have failed, some have succeeded. A number of companies in South Africa have managed to stay afloat, even if there have been a few close calls. IWESCO is classified as an essential service provider and, as such, we have managed to maintain our operations throughout the lockdown period.
This would not have been possible if it were not for our loyal customers and the government funding schemes set up at the start of the pandemic. We are extremely grateful to every client that has requested our services over the past few months, from fogging and disinfecting to contract cleaning and waste control. The support has allowed us to keep busy and has kept our value chain intact.
Since March 2020, IWESCO has assisted many businesses around the country with their fight against COVID-19. We have been sanitising and fogging, throughout the day and night, in order to keep offices, retail spaces and industrial enterprises open for business. All of our hygiene teams around the country have successfully maintained a fast response time to emergency requests for disinfection and sanitisation.
Customer support has been our saving grace
Throughout this period, the real heroes have been our unwavering customers and their valued support. Even during times of financial restraint and uncertainty, our long-term clients continued to pay their bills on time. In turn, this kept an entire value chain alive, providing income for a number of other businesses that we have partnered with. We have been able to pay creditors on time and keep these micro-economies going during the lockdown period.
This steady and continued income also enabled us to pay our hard-working staff on time and avoid having to make any retrenchments. This saved hundreds of jobs around the country and ensured that our vulnerable employees, who fight against the virus on a daily basis, are looked after and supported too. We are extremely proud of our employees who bravely and unselfishly work to minimise the spread of the virus.
Many of our employees are on call 24-hours a day, ready to drive out to any location - near or far - to disinfect offices, homes and commercial buildings when a case of COVID-19 is suspected. They have worked tirelessly to safeguard fellow South Africans and combat the virus head-on.
Government funding has been a success
The systems put in place by our national government at the start of the lockdown have been helpful to IWESCO. The financial support provided through these schemes has allowed us to pay suppliers and partners on time. While we have been receiving payments from loyal customers, the government relief funds have also, undoubtedly, helped us to stay afloat and support other businesses in the process.
The way in which South Africa has dealt with this global crisis is inspiring. IWESCO is proud to be part of a network of dedicated, selfless and motivated businesses. The leadership displayed during the lockdown, from clients and the government, has been outstanding and we are highly grateful for the continued support. The future of the country is bright and the post-COVID-era will see the rebuilding of businesses - of that we are sure.
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IWESCO offers specialised cleaning and waste control services to industrial and commercial customers in South Africa. These services are aimed at minimising our customers’ impact on the environment. Our services also include pest control, garden maintenance, fogging and disinfecting. Our staff are highly trained to offer the most professional services. IWESCO is a Level 2 B-BBEE supplier with ISO 14001 certification for environmental management.
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We are a one-stop shop for all your contract cleaning and waste control needs and have a national footprint. Our head office is located in Tshwane but we can provide services to any industrial and commercial client in the major metropolitan areas around South Africa, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Mbombela and more.
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