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According to Statistics South Africa’s most recent Volunteer Activities Survey, South Africans contributed volunteer work worth an estimated R17.5 billion in 2024, equivalent to more than 216,000 full-time jobs over the course of the year.
It is a powerful reminder of the country’s willingness to give back. However, for the organisations working every day to strengthen communities, the greatest value isn’t measured by what happens on Mandela Day alone.
For Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages (CCPB), this philosophy has shaped its approach to community investment. Rather than viewing Mandela Day as a standalone annual activation, the company believes the greatest impact comes from building enduring relationships with organisations that are already trusted by the communities they serve. That means building fewer, deeper partnerships, investing in them over the long term and empowering the organisations closest to communities to lead.
Children continue to need opportunities. Families continue to face challenges. Community organisations continue serving the people who rely on them. The impact of Mandela Day isn’t defined by what happens during those 67 minutes, but by what they inspire afterwards. The strongest partnerships are built through consistent support, mutual trust and a commitment that extends far beyond a single day.
Founder and CEO of Ladles of Love, Danny Diliberto has experienced the value of the long-term relationship with CCPB firsthand. “We are incredibly grateful to the team at Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages for their powerful partnership. They truly have walked a journey with us through thick and thin, from supporting us with budget and beverages in tough Covid times to gifting hydration stations at our annual Mandela Day events. Then, seeing the need at preschools for good nutrition, they sponsored children for a year by investing in our programme. The impact of this kindness is immense.”
“As we look for opportunities to grow our business, we also think about operating our business in a sustainable way. Purpose matters now more than ever. Our purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We aim to create a better shared future, from sustainable packaging and water stewardship to women’s empowerment, coastal and community clean-ups, feeding programmes and building new ECDs, to sports development and youth upliftment,” said Priscilla Urquhart, Head of Public Affairs, Communication, Sustainability and Philanthropy at CCPB.
This year’s CCPB Mandela Day activities build on long-standing partnerships. Team members will once again join Jenny Morris at the Salesian Institute’s Soul Kitchen initiative, where last year they helped prepare and distribute more than 10,000 cups of soup and 9,000 sandwiches. Teams will also work alongside FoodForward SA and Ladles of Love, helping impact tens of thousands of people, and will support another long-term partner in Community Chest with a Langtafel soup handout in Bree Street on Saturday, 18 July.
Other CCPB activities include the following:
- Worcester team is partnering with the Cape Winelands Municipality and Gift of the Givers in De Doorns. They will feed more than 500 people in the community and distribute clothing to vulnerable families.
- Vredendal, Springbok and Hermanus teams have partnered with various local Soup kitchens. Through fundraising efforts through the year, the team has purchased and will donate the ingredients towards the preparation of the soup and assist with serving.
- The Financial Shared Services team’s mission is to serve every patient at the Parow Day Clinic with a warm cup of soup, a caring heart, and a message of hope from 6.30am on Friday. Many of the patients visiting the clinic take their medication on an empty stomach and face difficult circumstances every day. Through this small act of kindness, we hope to provide comfort, restore dignity, and remind them that they are not alone.
- Our Athlone Team will be donating food items to Leliebloem House Children’s Home and will also be spending time with the children, playing games and creating meaningful moments together during their 67 minutes of giving back.
“I’m a firm believer in the transformational power of partnerships. It is part of our DNA that we must all work together, form meaningful partnerships to create shared opportunities for communities in our CCPB region. It is a great privilege to work alongside community partners like Ladles of Love, Food Forward SA, the Community Chest, and so many others as we commemorate another Mandela Day, making a difference that matters.”