Beyoncé donates R16.5m to support black-owned businesses

Beyoncé is donating $1 million (about R16.5 million) to black-owned businesses in celebration of her birthday. The ‘Black Is King‘ star turned 39 on Friday, and as an early birthday gift from the singer, she announced this week she plans to give the hefty sum to the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP), to help support small black-owned businesses.

Beyoncé made the donation through her BeyGOOD charity initiative, and announced the news in a statement on her website, which read: ”Proud to announce $1M in additional funds from Beyonce to help black-owned small businesses. Round two of funding opens this month with our partner, NAACP.

NAACP also released their own statement, in which they said they are ”proud to partner” with BeyGOOD, and revealed that the $1 million donation would split into grants of $10 000 each.

They said: ”NAACP Empowerment Programs is delighted to administer a meaningful program in partnership with BeyGOOD’s Black-Owned Small Business Impact Fund to assist our small business communities that have been directly impacted by recent events across the country.

The grants in the amount of $10,000 will be offered to Black-owned small businesses in select cities to help sustain businesses during this time. The NAACP is proud to partner with BeyGOOD to help strengthen small businesses and to ensure economic empowerment for Black businesses.”

Beyonce’s latest charitable deed comes after she recently reached out to fellow pop star Katy Perry, following the birth of her daughter Daisy Dove. The ‘Halo’ hitmaker sent Katy – who has her daughter with her fiancé Orlando Bloom – a $250 bouquet of flowers to celebrate her first foray into motherhood.