The initiative has been running for the past two years. Due to the current pandemic, CWDi made the decision to host 67 Logos online for 2020. The event kicked off with a 'Courage and Connect' talk from Lele Mehlomakhulu, non-executive director at CWDi and founder / MD of MPower Solutions.

"The pandemic that we are currently experiencing came with a lot of lessons and one of them is that identity is what has allowed businesses to thrive during this time," says Mehlomakhulu.

"A logo is important for any business as it is a representation of a brand, which people can identify with. Now, more than ever, it is important for businesses to maintain a positive image and show up," adds Mehlomakhulu.

According to the Designathon, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a 'devastating impact' on businesses overall and many small business owners don't have the funds to commission a professionally designed logo.

The 67 logos Designathon aimed to allow them to stand out despite these limitations and to provide a 'much-needed boost of confidence' to help kickstart their businesses.

"I love this project and it would not be possible without the selflessness of the designers who stand up to help us achieve this," says Lesley Waterkeyn, the brainchild behind the 67 Logos Designathon and founder / vice-chairperson at CWDi.

"Small businesses need a boost and I believe that CWDi just stepped up to make a difference during these uncertain times," adds Waterkeyn.

Dr Mark Vella, managing director at Sapientt and one of the logo recipients from 2019's event, lent a hand at 2020's event by giving away mentorship sessions to two small business owners who made an impression.

"We had been running for six months when we entered the 67 Logos Designathon in 2019," says Vella. "We needed a logo for our brand identity, but we could not afford it."

"I was very happy when our logo was handed over to us, as this meant that we could take our business to the next level. We are still using the logo that we received, and it has helped us grow from two employees to five. This is such an amazing initiative and I am very happy that we were part of it," adds Vella.

"The 67 Logos Designathon initiative provided the opportunity for our agency to create professional logos for businesses in 2018 and 2019. And now we're doing it again in 2020. For us, it's about more than just participating in the Mandela Day activities," says Lebogang Makola, creative director of Visual Aspiration.

"We get to positively contribute to the dreams and aspirations of the business owners to make their businesses succeed. It is an honour to participate in such a good cause and we cannot thank CWDi enough for this opportunity," adds Makola.

"Doing work that matters and creating experiences that connect people is one of our core values at CWDi and I couldn't be prouder of what the 67 Logos Designathon was able to achieve, even with the country being under lockdown," says Samantha Gabriel, group experiences director at CWDi.

"It feels great to have been able to impact and help small businesses," concludes Gabriel.

For more information, visit www.cwdi.co.za. You can also follow CWDi on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.