2020 will go down in the annals of history as the year of the Covid-19 pandemic, when world economies were stagnating under strict lockdown, as some 30 million people worldwide were infected, and more than a million died. But on a more positive note, it has also been a year of heart-warming initiatives as people have overcome challenges; and the African packaging industry can hold its head high in this respect. Earlier this year, an article published in L&L entitled ‘Their finest hour’ described the sterling efforts of South Africa’s packaging converters to manage demand – particularly for essential food and pharmaceutical packaging – under almost war-like conditions.