Local female Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) manufacturer, Sisi Safety Wear, is proud to announce their partnership with a Durban-based Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) that works to keep girls and young women in school. 

This CSI initiative is linked to the launch of Sisi’s Basi Metaguard Boot range, and for every pair of Basi boots sold, Sisi Safety Wear will donate R10 to the NPO’s education programme. The programme targets adolescent girls and women, in and out of school, in 12 sub-districts across the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, North West, Free State, Limpopo, Gauteng and Western Cape.

This partnership is in line with Sisi Safety Wear’s commitment to uplift women and young girls in local communities. “The main objective of this programme is built around increasing retention in school, furthering economic opportunities, and decreasing incidences of HIV and teenage pregnancy,” says Predahni Naidoo, Brand Manager of Sisi Safety Wear. “Our mantra is around safety first and education, so there is no better place to start than with education for young girls.”

Sisi’s Basi Metaguard Boot

The Basi Metaguard dual density boot offers a SRC slip resistance rating, anti-static properties and steel toe cap that is SANS/ISO 20345 certified. Sisi Safety Wear is invested in providing solutions for women entering hazardous workplaces that are not only durable and reliable, but fitting to the female foot. 

Naidoo notes that women are increasingly making up a greater proportion of the workforce in sectors that have typically been male-dominated such as mining, manufacturing, and construction. However, the problem remains that there are still limited offerings in specialised female safety footwear within these sectors, with many companies still issuing safety wear to their female staff that is designed for males.

The Basi Metaguard boot, which is the first locally produced Metaguard safety boot for women, is therefore designed to address this challenge. 

Naidoo adds that the Metaguard protector is primarily designed to protect the bridge of the foot from falling rocks and other hazards prominent in the mining work environment. “With the growing number of women entering the mining sector specifically, it is important to develop a solution for women against these types of hazards that also occur in other industries.”  

Women deserve both safety and comfort in the workplace. With locally manufactured, women-specific safety wear ranges readily available, there is little excuse for organisations to not cater to the needs of their female workforce.