Mandela Day, the annual global celebration that takes place on 18 July to honour the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela, calls on individuals, communities, and organisations to take time to reflect on Mandela's values and principles and to make a positive impact in their own communities.
This year, Mandela Day takes place on Friday, 18 July 2025, and here's how you can get involved...
Mandela Day Walk & Run
One of the most anticipated Mandela Day events is back – and this year, it’s bigger, bolder and built for impact.
On Saturday, 19 July 2025, thousands will gather at the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Illovo, Johannesburg, for the annual Mandela Day Walk & Run, a celebration of unity, movement and purpose.
This is more than a race. It’s a call to action. With a goal of reaching 10,000 participants, this year’s event invites South Africans from all walks of life to walk or run in support of a cause that truly matters.
Whether you choose the 5km walk, the 10km or the 21km, every step taken will honour Madiba’s legacy and help build a more just society.
The event will also feature entertainment and family-friendly activities, making it a day of joy and meaningful action.
Proudly sponsored by BP South Africa, Balwin Properties, Mahindra South Africa, DP World Wanderers Stadium, Lion’s Cricket, Bloomberg, SABC Sport, Discovery Vitality, Brand South Africa, the Road Accident Fund, Telkom South Africa, Number 1 Mageu and the Department of Sport, Arts & Culture, this promises to be one of the most inspiring Mandela Day gatherings to date.
Registration is now open at www.mandeladay.com.
For those who cannot join in person, you can still take part from anywhere in the world by joining virtually.
All proceeds support the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s work in fighting poverty and inequality. Let’s move with purpose, run for justice, walk for dignity and act for change.
Capegate Shopping Centre and The Dogbox Project
Capegate Shopping Centre has paired up with The Dogbox Project for one of its annual Mandela Day events, set to take place on Friday, 18 July from 10am to 12am in the Centre Court.
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The event calls on community members, families, schools and corporate teams to roll up their sleeves and give 67 minutes of their time to a cause that brings real relief to dogs in need. Participants will paint wooden kennels, sponsored by local businesses, which are then donated to under-resourced animal shelters across the Western Cape.
Members of the public can register to take part in the event by signing up on The Dogbox Project’s website.
ERA’s e-waste activation
The E-Waste Recycling Authority (ERA) is calling on you to actively participate in addressing SA’s growing e-waste problem.
The ERA is calling on you to roll up your sleeves, learn the art of responsible e-waste dismantling, and spend your 67 minutes contributing to job creation, skills transfer and a cleaner circular economy.
If you’re based in Cape Town and want to take part, here are the details:
- Date: Friday, 18 July 2025
- Time: 11am to 12.07pm
- Venue: NEED (Bridgetown Community Centre) or E-waste Buddies (Oude Molen Eco Village, Pinelands)
- Dress code: Closed shoes, comfortable clothing
RSVP by 14 July 2025 and contact az.oc.cpnare@ofniare for more information.
Ladles of Love in Cape Town and Johannesburg
Ladles of Love calls on businesses and South Africans everywhere to put compassion in action, this Mandela Day.
Under the banner 'It’s In Your Hands', corporate teams and individuals are invited to roll up their sleeves and volunteer to support children in need at Mandela Day flagship events hosted at DHL Stadium in Cape Town and Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Johannesburg.
Ladles of Love’s Mandela Day events provide volunteer activation stations with all materials supplied to make items to nourish, nurture and grow preschool small children in underserved communities. Furthermore, with every R250 ticket purchased, a child will receive two nutritious meals a day for a month and for this donation, you can request an 18A Tax certificate.
Booking individual tickets or small groups is easy. Simply visit www.ladlesoflove.org.za: Select a city, choose from four unique Activation Zones: MAKE, CREATE, CRAFT, GROW and secure a two-hour time-slot option: 9 am–11 am; 11 am–1 pm; 1 pm–3 pm; 3 pm–5 pm.
FoodForward SA warehouse packing – Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg
FoodForward SA is calling on volunteers to spend their 67 minutes on Friday, 18 July 2025, helping pack non-perishable food items for those in need, working towards the goal of food security for all. This will take place at its warehouses in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.
The packed items will be sent out during the winter season to beneficiary organisations that provide both meals and social support to communities in need.
Those who are unable to attend the event or would like to make an extra impact are encouraged to donate non-perishable items such as rice, maize meal, canned goods, lentils and cooking oil.
All donations must be unopened and within expiry date. Donations can be dropped off at FoodForward SA warehouses before or on Mandela Day
For more information simply visit, https://foodforwardsa.org/mandela-day-food-drive/. To book your tickets click here.
SA Harvest’s Buckets of Nutrition for Matriculants
As part of its 2025 Buckets of Nutrition for Matriculants campaign, SA Harvest will host public bucket-packing activations at Pavilion Mall in KwaZulu-Natal and Melrose Arch in Gauteng, with the help of committed partners including Rhodes Food Group, H&M, NUMUTI, AMDEC, and others.
You can sponsor a bucket for R500, join a packing event at Melrose Arch or Pavilion Mall on 18 July, or partner with SA Harvest for in-house activations or logistics support. Donations can be made at saharvest.org/buckets, using the reference “Buckets”.
Mustadafin Foundation’s Mandela Day hot meal challenge
The Mustadafin Foundation’s Mandela Day hot meal challenge uses every R12 donated to help serve a hot, nourishing meal to someone in need.
“For every R12, you help us move one step closer to a community where no one goes hungry,” says Ghairunisa Johnstone-Cassiem, director of Mustadafin Foundation.
How to help:
Donate to Mustadafin Foundation
- Bank: Standard Bank
- Branch Code: 025 909
- Ordinary Account: 072 778 377
- Zakaah Account: 073 159 867
- Swift Code: SBZAZAJJ
For more information, call 021 633 0010 or visit www.mustadafin.org.za
Chefs with Compassion’s #67000litres campaign
Chefs with Compassion aims to feed 400,000 people this Mandela Day.
Chefs with Compassion’s flagship initiative, #67000litres for Mandela Day, is back for its sixth year — and the call to action is simple: cook, donate, or spread the word. Whether you’re a home cook with a few extra ingredients, a community group looking to make a difference, or a business wanting to give back, there’s a way for everyone to get involved.
Buckets of chicken soup made by Capsicum Culinary Studio and SYSPRO volunteers. Image supplied.
How to take part:
- Cook at home: Use what’s in your kitchen and share soup in your community
- Donate R167: Every donation helps fuel the campaign and support community kitchens
- Get your company involved: Sign up to back one of the kitchens participating in #67000litres for Mandela Day
- Spread the word: Share your #67000litres story online
To register, donate or find a participating kitchen near you, visit www.cwc.org.za.
Good Hope FM and 5FM
Good Hope FM and 5FM are packing meals with Rise Against Hunger Africa this Mandela Day.
In Cape Town, Good Hope FM will be packing meals between 9am and 12pm at the GrandWest Market Hall. 5FM will hold its packing event at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
To find out more, check out Rise Against Hunger’s website .
Fight hunger with Checkers Sixty60 and Meals on Wheels
This Mandela Day, one simple act can make a real difference: from 14-18 July you can help by donating non-perishable food items to Meals on Wheels via the Checkers Sixty60 platform (web or app). Checkers will match every donation and refund your delivery fee.
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This initiative has collected food to the value of almost R2.7m since launching four years ago - that’s over 207,000 cans of baked beans or more than 150,000 packets of rice.
“Previous contributions from our Mandela Day partnership with Checkers Sixty60 have kept some Meals on Wheels branches running for up to three months - and in some areas, the support has sustained operations for as long as a year,” says Gershon Naidoo, programmes director for Meals on Wheels South Africa.
“As food insecurity continues to rise - so does our goal for this year. With your support, we hope to reach even more people.”
Donate from anywhere in South Africa by opening the Sixty60 platform (web or app), typing one of the three listed locations - Meals on Wheels Plumstead, Meals on Wheels Gillitts or Meals on Wheels Yeoville - into the delivery address bar and placing your order. A dedicated ‘Deliver Kindness’ section in the app highlights the most-needed grocery items, helping your donation go even further.
"Uplifting the communities we serve is central to our purpose, and tackling food insecurity remains a key focus of our sustainability efforts. Through our partnership with Meals on Wheels, and thanks to the incredible generosity of our Sixty60 customers, we’re seeing just how powerful collective action can be," - Sanjeev Raghubir, Chief Sustainability Officer at the Shoprite Group.
Meals on Wheels operates 173 kitchens across all nine provinces in South Africa, collectively providing more than 200,000 meals daily to individuals who need them most.
