In the buildup to Paris 2024, BIC announced its partnership with South Africa’s most anticipated Paralympian athlete in Track, Mpumelelo Mhlongo. The partnership drew from the similarities between the renowned athlete’s inspirational story and BIC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Together We Can Make the Future Write.

BIC’s CSR program aims to raise awareness around the alarmingly high school dropout rate of 41% in South Africa, focusing on the importance of providing students with the necessary resources to help them stay in school. Mpumelelo’s inspirational story is a perfect metaphor that showcases how individual efforts, the right environment, and the relevant resources can create a hero – despite challenging circumstances.

Mpumelelo’s story shows that a difference in someone’s life can start with ‘one; one person; one experience; one engagement. Stemming from its commitment to education, BIC also believes that change can start with ‘one’. An individual that believes in you, a teacher that supports you, an organization that funds you, a parent that encourages you. A belief that helped begin BIC South Africa’s flagship campaign, Buy a Pen Donate a Pen.

In South Africa, BIC began the Buy a Pen Donate a Pen campaign to provide students in underprivileged communities with the necessary resources they need to perform in the classroom. In 2023, the brand expanded the initiative into a community wide CSR platform that aims to raise awareness around the country’s high school dropout rate (41%).

With one of the main reasons for school dropouts is the lack of resources, BIC continues to provide students with the necessary writing tools to remain in school and calls on individuals and organizations to join the movement to provide students with the resources they need. BIC’s partnership with Mpumelelo Mhlongo is the most recent step the brand took in sparking further behavioural change within South Africa for South Africa.