Gavin Varejes is currently 2nd on the list for most funds raised for the CEO sleep out 2016 just below Brett Levy from Blue Label Telecoms
Six CEOs from the South African tech industry are among the top 20 business leaders who have, so far, raised the most money for The Sun International CEO SleepOut.
The event will take place on the Nelson Mandela Bridge in Braamfontein on Thursday night. It will see business leaders sleep on the streets for an evening, with a sleeping bag and cardboard floor-covering, to raise money and awareness of the plight of the homeless.
The CEO SleepOut Web site explains: "While this does not begin to simulate the reality of South Africa's most vulnerable children, it is a show of solidarity and a commitment to use business as a force for change."
Each CEO is required to commit to raising R160 000, and there is a leader board that shows how much each has raised so far.
In second place is Brett Levy, joint-CEO of Blue Label Telecoms, who has raised R347 500 already. Last year, he raised the most, achieving over R380 000.
His brother Mark Levy is at ninth with R184 000. MTN SA CEO Mteto Nyati has raised R171 100 so far and is in 12th place. In 16th place, Isaac Mophatlane, CEO of Business Connexion, has raised R163 830. He is followed by JJ Milner, MD of Global Micro Solutions, who has raised R161 800. Mark Rayner, CEO of MultiChoice SA, has raised R161 370 and is placed 19th.
These positions and figures are subject to change as more money is raised in the lead up to Thursday.
This year, the CEOs will each be joined by a staff member from their organisation, a student, and a matric learner. The idea is that these additional people, who show future business leader potential, will be able to network during the evening.
Last year, the event raised over R26 million for Girls & Boys Town. It was the largest sum raised by a single South African charity event.
It was also the largest amount of funds raised for any inaugural CEO SleepOut event. Sydney hosted its 10th event last year and Johannesburg raised more than Sydney did in its first year.
This year, there will be three beneficiaries − Asha Trust, Columbia Leadership and the Steve Biko Foundation − that will each receive an equal share of the net proceeds from the event.
The challenge was founded in 2006 in Australia and has since become a global movement, and aims to make businesses have a broader mandate than profits on its agenda.
