Absa joins hands for Mandela Day 2025, packing meals for community upliftment

In honour of Nelson Mandela International Day, on 18 July 2025, Absa Group brought together an estimated 250 colleagues at the Sandton Convention Centre to take part in the Rise Against Hunger-Food Packaging event. This drive saw Absa employees packing over 71,000 nutritious meals, which will be distributed to Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres nationwide.

“Mandela Day is a reminder for all of us to pause and think about other people, especially those in need. It is a call to action and to show up for others in meaningful ways. For us at Absa, it is not just a day on the calendar, it is the ethos of what we do above banking services. It is an expression of who we are, a force for good,” says Dr. Steven Zwane, managing executive of Corporate Citizenship at Absa.

The Rise Against Hunger Food Packaging event forms part of Absa’s broader Mandela Month initiatives, reinforcing the bank’s commitment to driving meaningful social impact through bringing our employees along.

“Through the Rise Against Hunger drive, we are assembling more than meal packs; we’re restoring dignity, connection and hope for the future. This initiative is an extension of our strategic focus on embedding entrepreneurial and skills-based volunteering into everything we do.”

The 2025 event builds on the success of 2024, where Absa colleagues across South Africa participated in food-packing activities with Rise Against Hunger to support vulnerable communities and ECD facilities. Beyond the meals, the drive fosters purpose, unity, and visible impact.

Zwane concludes: “Our ambition is to see at least 25% of our 36,000 colleagues across the group volunteering, and not only on Mandela Day, but throughout the year. It’s about being a Force for Good in everything we do; whether it is business, in community or in the way we show up for each other.”

Absa’s Colleague Volunteering Programme empowers employees to give back to their communities in ways that matter to them. Whether it’s teaching financial literacy, supporting entrepreneurs, or packing meals, people are encouraged to get involved. The programme offers practical support like volunteering leave, grants, matched funding, and opportunities for skills-based volunteering, ensuring that it is easier for employees to make a real difference.

For Absa and its people, Mandela Day will resonate far beyond Madiba’s birthday. For every meal packed, every child reached, and every colleague inspired to give back, the bank goes above and beyond.