NUtec Digital Ink handed over donations in the form of buffs made from repurposed textiles, as well as pencils, erasers and 2026 calendars, to the FESPA Foundation during the Sign Africa Cape Town expo. The event was held from 11-12 March.

The FESPA Foundation has extended its programme to the Western Cape, and will be visiting schools and providing gifts, so that learners can see what printing is about. As NUtec is based in Cape Town, the donation aligns well with the programme, as they too are looking to partner with schools in Cape Town.

‘We recently identified three schools in Cape Town, so this would be an ideal opportunity to demonstrate to those schools what the print industry and what the FESPA Foundation is all about,’ said FESPA Foundation executive director Steve Thobela ka Mdlalose.

Martine Goodchild, NUtec Digital Ink marketing manager, added, ‘We will continue to support the FESPA Foundation’s vision for South African school children in under-resourced areas and look forward to getting more involved in schools within our community.’

FESPA FOUNDATION
https://www.fespa.com/en/about/fespa-foundation/

NUTEC DIGITAL INK
+27 21 763 6990
info@nutecdigital.com
http://www.nutecdigital.com

The FESPA Foundation team returned to Batau Primary School in February to further support the school. The foundation handed over art and stationery supplies, which were kindly donated by NUtec Digital Ink. NUtec packaged paints and canvases in repurposed printed fabric samples which were turned into art supply totes.

Steve Thobela ka Mdlalose, FESPA Foundation’s executive director, emphasised that transparency is central to what the Foundation does: ‘There are so many charities that people can donate to, but how do you know if the gift that you donated actually gets to those in need? The FESPA Foundation pride ourselves on the fact that if something is donated to us for a school purpose, we assure the donor that they will see their product or donation being used at the school.’

Group content and events manager Michela Marcantonio from FESPA’s UK head office joined the team for the school visit. Thobela ka Mdlalose said, ‘It’s always good for staff members from the head office to see what we do. Although we do share information with them, there’s nothing like being present at the school to see the difference being made.’

‘I was honoured to visit Batau School in Limpopo, where FESPA donated a ‘parachute’ game for all classes to enjoy, a popular activity in UK schools. The game uses a large, circular, multi-coloured parachute with handles and can be used for a variety of group activities. We hoped it would be a meaningful contribution, as it’s a great way to help children develop coordination, teamwork and motor skills,’ said Marcantonio.

‘The children were in the middle of recess when we arrived and were clearly delighted to see us. They were eager to try the game and it was wonderful to see their excitement and joyful energy as we played together. During my visit, it was also a pleasure to meet the school’s dedicated staff, including Headmistress Mokabane, whose warmth, laughter and welcoming hugs left a lasting impression.’

‘I was particularly interested to learn more about the upcoming projects the FESPA Foundation team are fundraising for, including the development of five themed classrooms. These will help support students who are currently learning in classes of more than 60 children.’

Martine Goodchild, NUtec Digital Ink marketing manager added, ‘We’re honoured to support the FESPA Foundation’s work at Batau Primary School. Combining art supplies with repurposed printed fabric samples allowed us to contribute in a way that encourages creativity while giving materials from our industry a second life.’

FESPA FOUNDATION
https://www.fespa.com/en/about/fespa-foundation/

The FESPA Foundation and Messe Frankfurt visited Madisei Primary School in Polokwane for a two week Print for Good outreach, from 2-12 February. They aimed to create a brighter future through education by renovating and furnishing a library, transforming classrooms and donating art supplies.

The Messe Frankfurt South Africa, a trade fair, congress and events organiser, initiated a pilot project at the Madisei Primary School as part of the FESPA Foundation’s Adopt a School programme, which connects corporate partners with schools in need.

While the Foundation’s Print for Good initiative provides printed educational materials, Adopt a School goes one step further by building partnerships to tackle urgent needs like safe classrooms, reliable infrastructure, working libraries and food security.

The Messe Frankfurt South Africa, in partnership with the FESPA Foundation team, handed over some of the generously donated books, opening the door to imagination, learning and opportunity for every learner. The Foundation requests donations of more books for the refurbished library from anyone who is willing to help. The school library will also be open to the entire community once the project completed. Classrooms were also transformed with fresh paint and new tiling, creating a more welcoming and inspiring environment for students and teachers.

Fabio Palma, Group Creative Director at Messe Frankfurt and Steve Thobela ka Mdlalose, Executive Director at FESPA Foundation.

‘To be able to share some of our experience with the rest of the beautiful children that we met is super amazing,’ commented Jessica Nhleko, Outbound Sales Manager at Messe Frankfurt South Africa.

‘We had the honour and privilege of hosting Messe Frankfurt as the company that has adopted one of our schools under our Adopt a School programme. We are delighted at what has been achieved at the school under this programme, and thank them. We would like to invite other exhibition companies over and above the companies in the printing industry to join us and adopt a school, or adopt a building of a classroom at a particular school, and help us enrich the lives of those who are less privileged,’ said Steve Thobela ka Mdlalose, Executive Director at The FESPA Foundation.

‘We believe that the lives of these students will change and that they will be given a better learning experience,’ said Peter Sekolong, Principal of Madisei Primary School.

The FESPA Foundation’s partnership with Messe Frankfurt South Africa is part of an initiative to inspire more exhibition companies to donate excess supplies and printed materials from their events and expos to the FESPA Foundation’s supported and adopted schools.

Exhibition companies are often left with excess products and materials after shows. The donation of excess exhibition show products from the print, beauty, consumer goods and technology industries could expand the campaign from just ‘Print for Good’ to ‘Beauty for Good,’ ‘Art for Good,’ and ‘Tech for Good’ etc.

FESPA FOUNDATION
https://www.fespa.com/

The FESPA Foundation aims to positively impact lives in sub-Saharan Africa by providing printed materials for early childhood development. During the Sign Africa Bloemfontein expo, NUtec Digital Ink continued with its commitment to the FESPA Foundation by handing over art and stationery supplies to expo organisers Practical Publishing to give to the Foundation.

NUtec packaged paints and canvases in repurposed printed fabric samples which had been turned into art supply totes.

Nthombi Thobela, FESPA Foundation.

‘We are immensely proud of the work the FESPA Foundation has done in less than a year since its inception and will continue to support their efforts to uplift learners in underdeveloped schools,’ said Martine Goodchild, NUtec Digital Ink marketing manager.

FESPA Foundation invites members of the print and signage industry to partner with them in creating lasting change for children in under-resourced schools. Your support can make a real difference.

Those who still wish to support the organisation can still help by:

– Donating, books, notebooks, pens, art kits, reading glasses or school supplies, which will be delivered to schools in need.

– Donating funds towards additional printed materials, such as banners or instructional guides to support local initiatives and community programmes.

For more details and how to donate, please visit the Foundation’s website.

FESPA FOUNDATION
https://www.fespa.com/en/about/fespa-foundation/

NUTEC DIGITAL INK
+27 21 763 6990
info@nutecdigital.com
http://www.nutecdigital.com

FESPA, Durst Group, Midcomp and Practical Publishing attended the launch of a school support initiative at Malekapane Primary School in Limpopo on Monday, 19 January 2026. Representatives of Durst and Midcomp had the opportunity to see how their support for the FESPA Foundation’s ‘Adopt a School’ and ‘Print For Good’ initiatives have benefitted the school.

Christoph Gamper, CEO at Durst Group, Christian Harder, Chief Sales Officer at Durst Group, and Rob Makinson, CEO at Midcomp, joined Neil Felton, CEO at FESPA and Steve Thobela ka Mdlalose, FESPA Foundation’s Africa Coordinator, at Malekapane Primary School to break ground on building projects, planting trees and evaluating what learning materials are needed in the classrooms.

Practical Publishing participated in the day and also assists the foundation with printed matter, donated shirts and does all the artwork needed for print for this school. ‘Practical Publishing is proud to be associated with the FESPA Foundation as one of the founding partners and sponsors of their activities,’ said Dyelan Copeland, Director at Practical Publishing. ‘We get involved with all their projects in South Africa both with sponsoring items that are needed and with design and compilation of printed education collateral used at the schools. As a media partner we have been on the ground visiting a few schools to assist with whats needed where possible. Well done to Durst in adopting Malakapane School and to the FESPA Foundation especially Neil Felton and Steve Thobela and teams for their courageous work.’

The FESPA Foundation’s Adopt a School programme connects corporate print partners with schools in need. While the Foundation’s ‘Print for Good’ initiative provides printed educational materials, Adopt a School goes one step further by building partnerships to tackle urgent needs like safe classrooms, reliable infrastructure, working libraries and food security.

Durst and Midcomp representatives got the chance to see the work already completed on the school, such as the new ceilings that have been fitted in the classrooms. While on a tour of the school, they also got to scope out which printed educational materials could be produced to decorate the classrooms and arm students for greater learning. The representatives also met with the heads of the school to discuss other potential projects that will increase the quality of life for the students.

Malekapane Primary School hosted a special assembly for the event, bringing together community leadership, members of the local municipality, parents, teachers and students to show their gratitude towards the FESPA Foundation and its school sponsors.

Durst was the first to join the FESPA Foundations ‘Adopt A School’ initiative by sponsoring Malekapane Primary School. Through the help of their sole distributor for Durst Group AG printing technology in South Africa, Midcomp, Durst seeks to support the school even further.

FESPA FOUNDATION
www.fespa.com/en/about/fespa-foundation/

DURST GROUP
www.durst-group.com

MIDCOMP
midcomp.co.za

The FESPA Foundation galvanises exhibiting companies at its exhibitions to produce printed educational resources for schools across South Africa and other underserved communities. FESPA CEO, Neil Felton, has been awarded with the 2025 Girls Who Print Ally Award for his leadership of the FESPA Foundation, an initiative that was launched last year to demonstrate ‘Print For Good’.

The Girls Who Print Ally Award recognises Felton for leveraging the power of print to create a positive impact and safer learning environments in underserved communities – all while inspiring the global print community.

Led by Deborah Corn, Girls Who Print (GWP) is a non-profit organisation that supports the advancement of female careers in the print and graphic communications industries.

FESPA partnered with Girls Who Print – to highlight its support of the organisation and diversity across print – at FESPA Global Print Expo 2025, in May, at the Messe Berlin, Germany. During the event, GWP led a series of speaker sessions at the SmartHub conference, as well as a lunch.

Neil Felton, CEO, FESPA said, ‘I’m truly honoured to receive the 2025 Girls Who Print Ally Award. We (the FESPA team) were delighted to initiate a partnership with Corn, and to us, this is just the beginning. Girls Who Print is a truly inspirational organisation and we look forward to seeing what is in store for our relationship in the future. This is more than just an award, it’s global recognition for the FESPA Foundation and I am proud to be accepting this on behalf of everyone who has supported us on our journey. Thank you.’

Deborah Corn, Executive Director of Girls Who Print, commented, ‘Our mission to support women in print throughout their careers will continue in 2026. The ARC and Print University strengthen this mission by expanding our access to experts, education, skill building, mentorship, and professional development. Membership and sponsorship contributions are essential to powering our mission, expanding our offerings, and strengthening our global community. We deeply appreciate the companies that support our work and look forward to welcoming many more in the coming year.’

FESPA FOUNDATION
https://www.fespa.com/en/about/fespa-foundation/

FESPA Africa and Sign Africa expo organisers, Practical Publishing, have donated a trailer to the FESPA Foundation. The trailer will enable the efficient delivery of supplies to the beneficiary schools within Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal that the Foundation supports.

‘We are proud to align ourselves with the incredible work done by the FESPA Foundation,’ said Charnia Yapp, publisher at Practical Publishing. ‘Our support, including the sponsorship of the trailer, will help ensure that Print for Good reaches rural schools where these resources can make a meaningful difference.’

’Thank you to Practical Publishing for their generous donation of a trailer to support the work of the Foundation,’ said Steve Thobela kaMdlalose, team leader at FESPA Foundation.

The foundation warmly invites those in the print industry to join them in transforming the lives of children in under-resourced schools by becoming partners.

Those who still wish to support the organisation can help by:

– Donating, books, notebooks, pens, art kits, reading glasses or school supplies, which will be delivered to schools in need.

– Donating funds towards additional printed materials, such as banners or instructional guides to support local initiatives and community programmes.

– Cash donations are most welcome to help the Foundation purchase items such as a bakkie that is required to transport items to the schools, items for renovations and to support the work of the Foundation.

For more details and how to donate, please visit the Foundation’s website.

FESPA FOUNDATION
https://www.fespa.com/en/about/fespa-foundation/

In a remarkable display of creativity and environmental responsibility, Gawk has transformed upcycled fabric prints from the FESPA Foundation’s Sign Africa and FESPA Africa expo stand into 30 stylish pencil bags. These bags will soon find their way to one of the under-resourced schools supported by the FESPA Foundation, bringing both utility and hope to young learners.

FESPA Foundation is committed to making a lasting impact in sub-Saharan Africa by providing printed materials that support primary school education. By merging waste reduction initiatives with meaningful social impact, the Foundation brings empowerment to children who find themselves in challenging circumstances.

This upcycling project reflects Gawk’s dedication to sustainability, a principle which FESPA Foundation encourages all customers to embrace. Beyond this initiative, Gawk proudly sponsored the FESPA Foundation’s expo fabric stand using its innovative TRIGA® system, reinforcing its commitment to eco-conscious solutions.

After the expo breakdown, the Gawk team brought the FESPA Foundation prints back to their premises. The team decided that pencil bags would be the best way to up-cycle the FESPA Foundation prints for the Foundation. The fabric was cut into the sizes that were needed, and the seamstresses sewed the pencil bags together and added zips.

As businesses worldwide face growing pressure to reduce waste and adopt greener practices, the display industry is no exception. Frequent exhibitions and brand activations often lead to a cycle of constant production. While sustainability has no quick fixes, investing in a TRIGA® DISPLAY system offers a practical way to minimise an environmental footprint.

Looking ahead, FESPA Foundation is working to acquire a bakkie and trailer to streamline the delivery of supplies to beneficiary schools in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal. The Foundation warmly invites members of the print industry to join this mission, whether through partnerships or donations of stationery, reading glasses and other essential school supplies. Together, we can turn waste into opportunity and create brighter futures for children in need. To donate, and for more information about the Foundation, click here.

On behalf of the FESPA Foundation, Steve Thobela kaMdlalose extended a heartfelt gratitude to Gawk for their invaluable contribution toward making learning more engaging and enjoyable for children.

GAWK
+27 10 786 4295
info@gawk.co.za
http://www.gawk.co.za/