Whether it’s preparing food, cleaning up the ocean, looking after pets, or doing whatever you can to support your community, there are so many ways to volunteer your time, skills, and effort in the Mother City. Show up, work together, and give back to those who need it; not just on Madiba Day, but every day.

Those unsure how to spend their time this Mandela Day can use this guide to find worthy causes in need of help and support. If you’d prefer to donate cash, please note that each of the superb organisations below also urgently needs funds. 

Two Ocean’s Aquarium Trash Bash

The Trash Bash is an initiative dedicated to tackling plastic pollution and raising awareness of its harmful effects on marine ecosystems. By rolling up their sleeves and participating, volunteers make a real difference for the environment while enjoying a morning at the beach.

Beach cleanups are an important way to draw people together to remove pollution from marine environments and raise awareness about conservation. As an added incentive, the Aquarium Foundation is donating a children’s educational book for everyone who joins for 67 minutes. Attendees are encouraged to bring along a bucket, drinking water, a hat, and any friends and family who want to make a difference.

The Trash Bash is completely free to join. For more details, follow the Two Oceans Aquarium’s Facebook page or contact Heather Wares, Communications Manager, at [email protected].

More About Trash Bash

Norval Foundation’s Give the Gift of Art

In the spirit of Madiba, Norval Foundation is asking donors to support their Give the Gift of Art campaign, which helps bring underprivileged school students to the museum’s Learning Centre. This experience gives many their first opportunity to see themselves reflected in a major cultural institution, while encouraging creativity and self-expression in promoting authentic African art. Each visit helps remove the systemic barriers keeping young people from accessing arts education and is only made possible through ongoing fundraising and donations.

Contribution at any level is greatly appreciated. R67 helps bring a learner one step closer to an inspiring museum experience. R670 supports creative learning opportunities for visiting school groups. R6,700 makes a meaningful investment in expanding access to arts education for even more learners.

Details on how to donate are available on the website.

Happy Tails

Based in Langa, Happy Tails is a grassroots organisation dedicated to helping some of the Mother City’s most vulnerable dogs. On Mandela Day, they will feed hungry dogs, deworm them, help with flea and tick treatment, and support any and all dogs in the community.

Any volunteers are welcome, whether it’s taking part in any of the listed activities, donating dog food and deworming tablets, or simply contributing anything financially. For those with 67 minutes to spare, Happy Tails and their good boys and girls would appreciate all the help they can.

Those wanting to volunteer, donate, or get involved can contact Katja via 073 362 4961.

Gift of the Givers

The largest African disaster-response NGO, Gift of the Givers, runs many humanitarian initiatives to help underprivileged communities get through difficult circumstances, whether that’s aid for hungry kids in Sudan or shelter for citizens and refugees who have lost their homes due to floods and service-delivery failures.

Gift of the Givers does not have a specific volunteering programme for Mandela Day. However, those who want to help can donate any amount to their various funds through several channels and earmark exactly which initiative they want to support. Learn more on their website.

Saartjie Baartman Centre For Women & Children

Supporting more than 3,300 women and children with their humanitarian services, whether it’s emergency shelter, trauma counselling, legal support, or holistic care, the Saartjie Baartman Centre is dedicated to fighting gender-based violence and femicide in the Cape Flats by providing safety and security for victims.

To honour Madiba’s legacy, the Centre is asking for donations of R670 to help provide shelter, support and hope to women and children who need it most. Building on their Supporting Her Safety campaign, each little bit contributes to sheltering, feeding, counselling, and caring for the vulnerable women and children in our community.

Donations can be made via their GiveNGain campaign.

SANCCOB

Lend your assistance to SANCCOB for the rehabilitation and release of ill, injured, abandoned and oiled seabirds off the Western Cape’s coast.

On Mandela Day, volunteers can visit the SANCCOB headquarters to meet the team, learn about their programmes, have an induction tour of the centre, and find out how they can make a difference. Whether it’s in marketing and media, centre maintenance, driving and collecting seabirds, physical rehabilitation, or simply education, there’s always a role for those who want to support seabirds at SANCCOB.

The centre needs support 365 days a year at their centres, making SANCCOB a good option for those wanting to support a good cause beyond their 67 minutes. Individuals can even adopt and name their own African penguin to help pay for its rehabilitation and eventual release into the wild.

Learn more about volunteering here and RSVP to help here.

Just Grace

An NPO operating in Langa with a wide range of community-based programmes aiming to reduce poverty, improve quality education, and grow equal opportunities, Just Grace is committed to making meaningful change in its community.

There is a need for volunteer work across the organisation, whether it’s helping with social media, computer training, hosting art classes, coaching sports, or helping with admin and operations. More information is available on the website.

TEARS

Give stray cats and dogs some love and attention at TEARS this Mandela Day. TEARS believes that no pet should go hungry, and this programme subsidises pet food so that families struggling financially can feed their pets and keep them at home.

TEARS is always looking for volunteers, whether that’s walking dogs, fostering pets, or just spending quality time with furry friends at their kennels or cattery. Sign up to volunteer here.

Those who cannot make it to TEARS for regular volunteer work can still help by donating to help feed hungry pets. Donations can be made here.

Etafeni Day Care Centre

Give up some time to volunteer at Etafeni, a multi-purpose centre for children affected by AIDS and their caregivers in Nyanga.

The children at the centre need assistance with reading and playing, and the staff require assistance with the food garden, food collection, office chores, teaching the children basic English, and more – all ideas are welcome. See their volunteer page for more info.

Soil for Life

Get your hands dirty at Soil for Life, an organisation helping communities start and maintain their own food gardens. Through this practice, individuals are empowered to improve their own health and well-being, support themselves and contribute to environmental awareness.

They run multi-week training programmes to teach individuals how to grow their own food, providing the necessary seeds and compost to get gardens started, and ensuring that future gardeners develop community-based networks and support systems. Their Community Gardening Projects focus on upskilling groups committed to growing food to support initiatives such as soup kitchens, child and youth care development centres, and school feeding schemes.

Volunteers are always welcome, with no gardening experience needed. Applications can be made here.

Vintage with Love

Vintage with Love accepts pre-loved clothes and accessories from people in and around Cape Town and Joburg, and re-sells them at stores in both cities. The profits then go to literacy charities, supporting the education of underprivileged children throughout the country. 

This Mandela Day, Vintage with Love is encouraging individuals to spend 67 minutes clearing out their cupboards and donating lightly worn clothes at one of its drop-off points throughout the Mother City. They are also encouraged to browse their catalogue, buy something, or donate money directly to the organisation. More information is available on the website.

Paedspal

A non-profit focusing on palliative care for children with incurable illnesses, Paedspal, supports families in times of need, empowers healthcare practitioners to provide holistic care to patients, and advocates for the introduction of palliative care into the South African healthcare system.

While they don’t have a specific Mandela Day campaign in 2026, people are encouraged to donate funds to ensure the sustainability of their programmes for the children and families they serve every day. Donations can be made via the website.

Nazareth House Cape Town

Nazareth House is part of a system of care homes for elderly people, with the Vredehoek location in Cape Town offering gorgeous views of Table Mountain. For Mandela Day, volunteers can help in cooking and serving alongside the kitchen team, providing a meal to vulnerable members of the community. By doing so, they support Nazareth House’s mission to provide housing and support for the elderly while working in a warm, homely environment.

More information is available on the website, and volunteers can register their interest in helping here.

English and French Bulldog Rescue SA

This Mandela Day, the team at English and French Bulldog Rescue SA are hosting a variety day, with all proceeds going to supporting their furry friends. There is a cake sale, various food and craft stalls, fun activities for kids, and (of course) a meeting of all kinds of friendly pets – not just bulldogs!

The organisation is also seeking volunteers and donations to support their furry friends. Required donations include food, toys, bowls, building supplies, or even a gift for any of the dogs, among others.

More information can be found here.

When: Saturday, 18 July 2026 | 10am – 2pm
Where: 2 Hopedale Road, Grabouw