Changing lives, one smile at a time
Making a difference to communities around South Africa through impactful partnerships, hands-on support, and meaningful corporate social investment that brings real change where it's needed most.
2025/07/14
There's a story behind every smile, and that was truer than ever recently when 37 young patients received life-changing surgeries in Johannesburg courtesy of Operation Smile, the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital (NMCH) and partners such as Life Healthcare and DSV in South Africa.
For these children and their families, the surgeries heralded the beginning of new opportunities, restored confidence, and the promise of brighter futures.
The successful interventions unlock social and emotional well-being as well as improved physical health, and Candice Liebenberg, Director, Sales Sub-Sahara Cluster, Road MEA, said it was inspiring to be part of an emotional journey which changed so many lives.
The marathon weekend surgical programme involved 52 volunteers from around South Africa, including specialist cleft surgeons, anaesthesiologists, paediatricians, nurses, dentists, speech therapists, psychologists, medical records and patient imaging technicians - and DSV was proud to support the initiative by ensuring critical logistics and supply chain support, broadening access to healthcare and ensure the team had the medical supplies and consumables needed to carry out the operations.
See the impact of Operation Smile
Watch how smiles were made possible and see the story behind the Operation Smile mission in action.
Sarah Scarth, Executive Director at Operation Smile SA, thanked DSV for partnering and for playing a critical part enabling the organisation to perform safe surgeries.
In addition to offering cleft surgeries Operation Smile invests in long-term community development training local health professionals to enhance care capacity and over the past 19 years has collaborated with government and health institutions to perform several hundred free surgeries for children and young adults.
The causes of cleft lip and palate are not fully understood yet, but may include genetics, family history, medical conditions, poor nutrition, and exposure to harmful substances. Children with cleft often need several surgeries, speech therapy, dental care, and psychosocial support.
While causes like cleft conditions require specialised care, DSV's contribution highlights a bigger picture: the power of partnerships, logistics, and corporate support to uplift communities across South Africa.
See how DSV in South Africa supports lasting community impact through corporate social investment.
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