Purity in every drop. Purpose in every bottle: aQuellé’s story

aQuellé’s story started over 27 years ago in the hills of KwaZulu-Natal. There was a need to provide water for the community at KwaSizabantu Mission and a pure, natural water source was discovered. When the water was tested, the refreshing taste and purity was too good not to share, so the water was bottled and named aQuellé, blending the Latin word “aqua” for water with the German word for spring “Quelle”. 

The Lord has blessed aQuellé with phenomenal growth to become SA’s favourite water brand.

Bongani Bingwa speaks with Sharon Combrink from aQuellé on Corporates That Care about their initiatives like clean-up campaigns, acts of kindness, and supporting schools.

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As a community-based organisation, with its very reason for existence being to uplift people, aQuellé lives out its brand values every day. aQuellé’s vision to spread joy to everyone is realised through their involvement in a broad spectrum of projects, such as distributing water to needy communities, clean-up initiatives, support during pandemics and natural disasters, awareness campaigns for diabetes, and local feeding schemes.

Through every bottle shared and every act of kindness, aQuellé strives to make a meaningful difference.

From the start in 1998, aQuellé has actively supported sporting events, fundraising initiatives, school and community functions and cultural events all over the country every year.

Access to clean water is a daily challenge for many South African communities, especially those affected by ongoing water shortages and damaged municipal supply systems.

Beyond emergency relief, aQuellé initiated a project to provide long-term solutions. To celebrate its 25th anniversary, aQuellé donated 25 water tanks to 25 needy communities across South Africa. Each tank holds 5,000 litres of water and is equipped with a tap, providing a sustainable source of water for community members and school children.

“This day is the best day ever in the history of our school. We asked aQuellé for help and today they have brought us a very large water tank. The school will never have to close again because of water shortage.”

aQuellé saw the need to do more, and this has become an ongoing project. Water is life, and through every bottle delivered and every tank installed, aQuellé continues to make a positive impact – one drop at a time.

aQuellé has a heart for people suffering from diabetes, which affects millions of South Africans and is the second leading cause of natural deaths. aQuellé is creating awareness and educating people about diabetes and has travelled across South Africa to provide free glucose testing (in 2024, over 1,700 people were tested), encouraging people to drink water, eat healthily and maintain active lifestyles.

aQuellé donates R300,000 to Diabetes South Africa every year to equip them to help more diabetics. Paid media channels such as radio, taxi rank screens and extensive digital campaigns are used to spread the message further, bringing hope and teaching people how to prevent or manage diabetes.

aQuellé also cares for the environment and the beautiful country we live in.

In September 2021, aQuellé launched an anti-litter or clean-up campaign to join handswith municipalities, communities, government departments and schools all over South Africa to clean up and drive awareness about recycling and creating cleaner, healthier and happier environments.

aQuellé has been part of over 100 cleanups with more than 19,000 volunteers and assists with gloves, t-shirts and refreshments at these cleanups.

Other initiatives that aQuellé drives include assistance for schools, small business development, such as equipping vendors and spaza shops, delivering food parcels together with KwaSizabantu Mission, and more.

Beyond its own rural home, aQuellé looks forward to refreshing South Africa with its pristine quality, affordable and delicious refreshment in every bottle produced.