In the true spirit of Mandela Day, African Group Lubricants (AG Lubricants) is proud to announce a long-term partnership with a local school in its surrounding community, an initiative that began with a simple idea and quickly grew into a meaningful commitment to education, dignity, and sustainability.
What started as a search for a local soccer field for AG Lubricants’ internal sports team evolved into a broader mission to uplift a school in need. Upon visiting New Comet Primary School in Boksburg and engaging with Principal Lawrence Marapjane, AG Lubricants’ Maintenance Manager Flohan Visser was struck by the magnitude of the school’s challenges and its potential.
“We were initially hoping to find a field we could use and maintain in return,” says Visser. “But once we saw the reality of 1 700 learners crowded into roughly 38 classrooms, with some classes held in hallways and the school’s entrance, we knew there was much more we could do.”
As a result, AG Lubricants, together with its supplier development partner Vimbindlala Construction, and steelwork contractor MAC Rebuilds, have stepped in with practical, immediate interventions and a vision for sustainable, long-term impact. Repairs and upgrades underway include fixing leaking roofs, repainting classroom blocks, installing new gutters, and adding vital security features to help protect school property following incidents of theft.
“We are also repainting ten classrooms and installing burglar bars and gates on eight more. Our management team will be hands-on this Mandela Day, painting classrooms as part of our 67-minute commitment to community upliftment,” adds Visser.
This collaborative effort goes beyond infrastructure. Plans are being shaped to revive the school library, enhance Grade R facilities, including a much-needed playground, and even host learner visits to AG Lubricants’ manufacturing plant, encouraging curiosity, learning, and local pride.
The initiative is also a living expression of AG Lubricants’ values. “At AG Lubricants, we believe in challenging the way things have always been done. Education has always been central to our company culture, and we are excited to share that spirit with a school in our own backyard,” explains Visser.
New Comet Primary School Principal Lawrence Marapjane comments: “Schools like ours cannot thrive in isolation. We rely on the support of the community and private sector partners like AG Lubricants to help create an environment where learning is possible. Investment in education infrastructure is not just about bricks and mortar; it is about building futures. When learners have access to safe, dignified spaces, it improves their chances of success, and that success ripples outward, strengthening families, creating employment opportunities, and uplifting the entire community.”
The school has a proud and deeply rooted history. It was established in 1938 and originally located in Comet, where it was known as Comet Mine School. The previous owners of the mine established it specifically for their employees’ children. Since then, the school has grown in both size and purpose. Today, it caters to over 1 700 learners, most of whom come from informal settlements and disadvantaged backgrounds.
“We are the only no-fee paying school in Boksburg, which has brought welcome access but also ongoing challenges, especially when it comes to maintenance. That is why the involvement of AG Lubricants has been so valuable. In the past, we would simply clean up the school on Mandela Day with limited resources. Now, thanks to the active contribution of AG Lubricants and their partners, we can go a long way in creating safe, clean and dignified spaces for our learners,” says Marapjane.
He adds: “We are driven by the simple idea to provide children from underprivileged communities with an opportunity to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. With support from the private sector, schools like ours can close the gap and overcome the systemic inequalities we face.
“Our hope is that this relationship with AG Lubricants will not only grow stronger but continue long into the future. Partnerships like this are not just investments in infrastructure, they are investments in potential, in community, and in the future of our country,” concludes Marapjane.
From supplier development and job creation to education and infrastructure, AG Lubricants is committed to ensuring that this Mandela Day project lays the foundation for a brighter, more sustainable future for the school and its learners
