Press release: The Shell SA Cricket Academy KwaZulu-Natal

Shell South Africa announces that it has entered into a cricket development sponsorship with the Cricket Union of KwaZulu-Natal. In line with Shell's International Sustainable Development Framework, this sponsorship seeks to create the balances in society that were so severely distorted in the past. The stresses which South Africa underwent have warped it's natural development fabric.

"The breaches and rifts are nowhere more visible than in sport, and it is therefore of major importance to the nation that initiatives such as these are undertaken. It is the responsibility of large corporations such as Shell to assist in the development of talent in a society where that talent previously had few or no outlets. The process of rebalancing the society and creating outlets and opportunities for the talents inherent in all sectors of the population cannot happen overnight. It occurs in small, incremental steps over a longer time period." says Koosum Kalyan, General Manager of Public Affairs of Shell SA.

Shell is satisfied that this sponsorship will go some way towards helping children in KwaZulu-Natal to reach for the highest rung in the sport of cricket.

Shell's Sustainable Development framework stresses that no cohesive or successful business plans can succeed if they do not incorporate social aspects of markets. The framework stipulates a balance between hard economic delivery, social equity issues and environmental integrity, for any new business initiatives.