How will you be donating your 67 minutes this Mandela Day?
And have you considered looking beyond the 67 minutes, to make your donation about more than your time? Perhaps you could have a good winter clear-out, and donate clothes or other items to those less fortunate in Cape Town. Or maybe you have a skill you could share with an organisation, whether just for an hour’s consultation or – for that extra feel-good factor – on a regular basis.
However you choose to donate this Mandela Day, we want to make it as easy as possible. If you’d prefer to donate cash, please note that each of the superb organisations below urgently need funds, too.
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 those working at the centre require food garden assistance, food collection and more. See their volunteer page for more info.
Website: etafeni.org.za
Ladles of Love
Ladles of Love’s 2025 Mandela Day campaign focuses on raising funds, items and awareness to combat child food poverty through community-based volunteerism and purpose-driven partnerships.
Individuals, companies, and schools are invited to book tickets for a two-hour volunteer experience on Mandela Day, where at ‘Activation Station Zones’ they will be provided with the materials to make, create, craft or grow items to nourish and nurture small children in need.
The flagship event will be taking place at the DHL Stadium and will support the elimination of child food poverty.
Cost: R250pp. Book tickets on the website.
When: 18 July 2025 | Time slots: 1. 9am-11am / 2. 11am-1pm / 3. 1pm-3pm / 4. 3pm-5pm
Where: DHL Stadium, Green Point, Cape Town
Food Forward SA Packing Event
The FoodForward SA Mandela Day brings thousands of corporates, schools, clubs, families, and individuals together to spend their 67 minutes sorting and packing essential food groceries for those who are food insecure, while fostering unity and collective action toward a shared goal – food security for all.
Choose from various time slots, and support Food Forward SA in their mission to champion food security. More information can be found here.
When: 18 July 2025 | Time slots: 9.30am / 11.30am / 1.30pm
Where: Century City Conference Halls (A,B and C), Cape Town
Ikamva Labuntu – 67 Gogos
The “Mandela Day 2025 – 67 Gogos” initiative is calling for change that endures long after the day is done. Ikamva Labantu and Relate Bracelets have partnered to create a day to raise awareness and funds to change the lives of elders in townships. Participants on Mandela Day will join a group of Ikamva Labantu’s “Gogos” (grandmothers) for 67 minutes to bead bracelets while sharing stories and memories of Nelson Mandela.
Older women in townships generally face the brunt of poverty, and Ikamva Labantu aim to support them with nutritious meals, health screenings and social support. This event contributes towards that goal in a meaningful way.
Cost: R200. Register on the website.
When: 18 July 2025
Where: Ikamva Labantu, Buchanan Square, Woodstock, Cape Town
Greenpop
Volunteer your time planting indigenous trees with Greenpop, an organisation devoted to protecting the environment and actively supporting the future of the planet. Greenpop offers various volunteering opportunities and events, and are continuously accepting donations. Find more information here.
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.
Volunteers are always welcome, and applications can be made here.
Two Ocean’s Aquarium Trash Bash
Get some fresh air and exercise with family and friends while you help the beach cleanup with the Two Oceans Aquarium’s ‘Trash Bash’. This is the perfect opportunity for families to come together and learn about the dangers of plastic pollution and the importance of conservation awareness for biodiversity.
Bring a bag to collect trash, reusable gloves, and your desire to make a difference!
When: Saturday, 19 July from 9 am to 11 am
Where: Sunset Beach, Milnerton
More About Trash Bash
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 are able to feed their pets and keep them at home.
Currently, TEARS has raised over R60,000, which amounts to over two tonnes of food. They need your help to raise another 11 tonnes and reach their goal of 13 tonnes, seven tonnes of dog food and six tonnes of cat food, by Mandela Day. Donations can be made here.
Alternatively, volunteer at TEARS through various channels, such as animal attending, administrative work or education. Sign up to volunteer here.
SANCCOB
Lend your assistance to SANCCOB for the rehabilitation and release of ill, injured, abandoned and oiled seabirds. Volunteers can assist with seabird rehabilitation, driving and collecting seabirds, centre maintenance and fundraising, among others. Learn more about volunteering here.
Nazareth House Cape Town
Cook, dish, and serve alongside the kitchen team at Nazareth House Cape Town, a care home for elderly people in Vredehoek. Support the elderly and Nazareth House’s mission to provide housing and support for the most fragile members of the community. Volunteer information can be found here.
Just Grace
Contribute using skills from your specialised field at Just Grace, an NPO in Langa with a range of community-based programmes aiming to reduce poverty, improve quality education, and grow equal opportunities. Volunteer as a tutor, mentor, social worker, computer trainer, counsellor, artist, sports coach, admin assistant, copywriter and more.
More information on how to volunteer can be found on the website.
Great Girls
Help young women entering the workforce with mock interviews and more at Great Girls, a non-profit project run by a diverse group of women in Cape Town, that aims to bridge the gap between high-school education and full-time employment for disadvantaged girls. Note that this is a two-month commitment.
More information on volunteering can be found here.
Vintage with Love
Vintage with Love accepts gently worn clothes and accessories from people in and around Cape Town and Joburg, and re-sells them at stores in both cities. The profits go to literacy charities such as Realema Teacher Intern Programme, Community Assisting Schools, Thandulwazi Maths and Science Academy and the Click Foundation.
This Mandela Day, Vintage with Love is running donation drives from various drop-off points in Cape Town.
When: 18 July 2025 | 10am – 5pm
Where: PureGood & Workshop 17, The Watershed, V&A Waterfront, 17 Dock Rd, Cape Town | 46A Canterbury St, Zonnebloem, Cape Town
Paedspal
Paedspal, a non-profit focusing on palliative care for children, calls for donations of toiletries to create care packs. They urgently need toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, small shampoos, roll-ons, facecloths, sanitary towels, Vaseline and hand cream.
Donations can be made via the website.
Liesbeek River Cleaning
Clean up a local piece of nature with Friends of Liesbeek, who work to keep the beautiful river and surrounding areas clean and free of rubbish. Friends of Liesbeek host monthly cleaning events to keep the surrounding area clean, and your support is greatly appreciated.
Volunteer signup for Mandela Day can be found here.
When: 18 July 2025
Where: Liesbeek River, exact location will be sent when signed up.
Mandela Week at Valkenberg Hospital
Spend your 67 minutes supporting the recovery of people living with mental illness at Valkenberg Hospital. By volunteering your time, you will be actively contributing to the recovery of the individuals most affected by debilitating mental health conditions, and assisting them in making a recovery.
When: 14 – 17 July 2025 | 10am – 11am or 11am – 12 noon. Book a slot via email ([email protected])
Where: Valkenberg Hospital, Observatory Rd, Observatory, Cape Town
The Camissa Museum
On Mandela Day, the Camissa Museum is welcoming young people to the museum to connect with their history, identity, and sense of pride. The museum tells the powerful, often-erased stories of Cape Town’s indigenous, enslaved, and displaced peoples.
The museum relies on donations to support their volunteer programme and provide youth education. Donations can be made here, or when visiting.
Where: Camissa Museum, Castle of Good Hope, Cnr Darling and Buitenkant St, Cape Town
English and French Bulldog Rescue SA
This Mandela Day, the team at English and French Bulldog Rescue SA are seeking volunteers and donations to support the furry friends they host. Donations required include food, toys, bowls and building supplies, among others.
On the day, the charity will be hosting a 3km fun dog walk, for you to bring your fur friends and join in the fun. There will also be a kids treasure hunt and a coffee station.
More information can be found here.
When: 19 July 2025 | 10am – 2pm
Where: 2 Hopedale Road, Grabouw
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Salesian Institute Youth Projects
Join the Salesian Institute Youth Projects this Mandela Day as they prepare soup and sandwiches for the less fortunate – with a little help from the fabulous Jenny Morris!
Bring your knife and chopping board, vegetables and non-perishables, and other donations, and spend some time cooking and chopping for the less fortunate.
More information can be found here.
When: 18 July 2025 | 10am – 2.30pm
Where: 2 Somerset Rd, Green Point, Cape Town
Dancing for Full Tummies with Secret Sunrise
Join Oryx Desert Salt & Secret Sunrise for a special Mandela Day event that supports Ukama Foundation, a preschool feeding scheme that fills the bellies of 700+ children daily in Masiphumulele and Capricorn.
Enjoy a Secret Sunrise dance experience and sandwich-making session, before mingling with others and taking a dip at Muizenberg Beach. Have a fun morning while supporting a worthy cause this Mandela Day.
Cost: R150. Tickets available on Quicket.
When: 18 July 2025 | 9.30am – 11.30am
Where: Tiger’s Milk Muizenberg, Sidmouth Rd, Muizenberg, Cape Town
