Since 2020, Seriti has partnered with Astral at the Goldi processing facility to strengthen relationships with the communities of Farm 3, Farm 5, Farm 2/9, and the Hatchery. What began as a process of listening, consultation, and household surveys has grown into a wide-ranging collaboration that delivers tangible impact in Standerton. Together, Astral and Seriti have rebuilt trust, addressed long-standing community concerns, and created new opportunities for dignity and livelihoods.
The partnership’s first test came during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of early engagement with the community, Seriti distributed food parcels, vitamins, flyers, and Goldi-branded masks to 159 households. Astral played a vital role in making this possible by providing transport from Johannesburg to Standerton and supporting printing and logistics. This joint response demonstrated the partnership’s core values: care, solidarity, and action when it mattered most.
Training and skills development soon followed. Through the Work.Learn.Grow and aRe Bapaleng programmes, youth and caregivers were trained in permaculture and Early Childhood Development, receiving both manuals and practical learning experiences. Certificates were awarded to participants, boosting their confidence and employability. Another milestone was the renovation of the Farm 5 school, where ten local young people – five women and five men – carried out plumbing repairs, painted classrooms, varnished doors, and installed new ceilings. While the process revealed the need for longer-term training, the project revitalised the school, which now houses a sewing project, a co-op office, and a new library.
The sewing project, currently led by five local women, is preparing to register as a formal business and already supplies sports vests for the Farm 3 school teams. Additionally, a women-led bakery in the community, started by family members of Astral employees with Seriti’s support, has been successfully registered and now trades locally, demonstrating what is possible when dignity meets opportunity.
Beyond events and training, the partnership has delivered lasting development outcomes. Since 2022, Seriti and Astral have created over 2,600 short-term work opportunities, established 16 food gardens reaching more than 17,000 people, cleared 15 dumping sites (seven of which were converted into green spaces), and extended Early Childhood outreach to more than 10,000 caregivers. Astral also donated land on Farm 3, where Seriti established a Multi-Functional Agri-Node that now supplies vegetables to the Goldi Canteen, Vege Spot in Standerton, local schools, and feeding schemes in Sakhile.
Community celebrations have also marked this journey. On Mandela Day 2024, Astral, Seriti, and residents of Farm 3 came together to create a sensory playground, refurbish the school kitchen, repair a storm-damaged roof, and decorate the library. With additional support from Standard Bank, socks were donated to young learners, turning the day into a demonstration of shared purpose and joy.
Through all of this, the partnership between Astral and Seriti has proven that community development is most powerful when built on collaboration. Beyond one-off initiatives, this partnership delivers jobs, livelihoods, and spaces that bring people together—representing a pathway to resilience, dignity, and long-term change for the families of Standerton.
