South Africa - As South Africa declares a national state of disaster in light of the current global pandemic caused by the coronavirus, DWR Distribution has issued the following:
“The measures that government has implemented, including preventing gatherings of more than 100 people, has enormous implications for the eventing industry in South Africa and across the world. It is fair to assume that the events industry will be hard-hit by the current situation - but it is important to remember that this is temporary, and we are not alone as every industry, sector and market will be under pressure due to the knock-on effects of the pandemic and our world governments are mobilising plans to mitigate these effects - South Africa included.
“What sets the eventing industry apart is that we are resilient, we are not afraid of hard work and most importantly, we look after each other. During this difficult time, we encourage all of our clients and friends in the industry to remain positive, to stand together and to remember that the whole country is going to need a really great party in a few weeks time when this is all over, and we will be ready and waiting to turn on the lights, pump up the volume and celebrate life as never before.
“Over the next few weeks, we would like to encourage you to use this time to your advantage. We will be ramping up our training programmes so that technicians who are not working on shows right now can beef up their skills. Please take a look at our training calendar which will be updated regularly to book your spot. Our workshop is up and running, and we have additional hands on deck to ensure that you can take this opportunity to catch up on maintenance backlogs. This is a great time to take a deep breath and do some of the things that you don’t have time to do in between shows, and DWR is here to help you to make the most of it. Please don’t be tempted to throw up your hands in resignation and miss this opportunity to strengthen your staff, take care of your inventory and do some much-needed spring cleaning!
“We are fully cognisant that having all of our events cancelled at short notice has enormous implications on cash flow for rental companies, production companies, entertainment venues, houses of worship, theatres and the people that these businesses support. We have always had an open-door policy when it comes to engaging with our clients, and at no time is this more important than right now. We are all feeling a little vulnerable right now, and you are always welcome to visit our offices or call Duncan, Bruce and Robert for a chat.
“As our President stated last night, 'Fellow South Africans, this epidemic will pass, but it is up to us to determine how long it will last, how damaging it will be, and how long it will take our economy and our country to recover. It is true that we are facing a grave emergency. But if we act together, if we act now, and if we act decisively, we will overcome it'.”

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