‘GIVE US A HAND’ SOUTH AFRICANS CALLED TO SHOW UP THIS MANDELA DAY

In the week of Mandela Day, South Africans often ask the same question: what can we do that will actually help?

For Ladles of Love, the answer is simple. Give 67 minutes. Use your hands. Help support the nutrition and education of 20,000 preschool children in under-resourced communities.

This year, the organisation’s Hands-On Heroes campaign is inviting South Africans to take part in organised Mandela Day volunteer events at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Friday, 17 July 2026, and at the Johannesburg EXPO Centre, Nasrec, on Wednesday, 22 July 2026.

For those who cannot attend the flagship events, the campaign also includes Create Your Own Hands-On Hero events from 17 to 31 July 2026, allowing businesses, families, schools, clubs, religious groups and communities anywhere in South Africa to host their own 67-minute give-back using delivered Hands-On Hero Kits.

“Every year, people ask what they can do for Mandela Day,” says Danny Diliberto, Founder of Ladles of Love. “This campaign gives them an answer. The planning is done. The activities are ready. The need is real. We want South Africans to come with their teams, their families, their colleagues and their friends, and spend 67 minutes doing something that will reach children who need support.”

At the flagship events, volunteers will choose one of four activity zones: Make, Create, Craft or Grow. They will make sandwiches or pack nutrition boxes, create teaching aids, or build grow boxes with vegetable and herb seeds to support urban farmers who supply preschools with fresh produce.

This year’s campaign is being supported by South African names across sport, music, food and entertainment, all using their platforms to encourage people to show up.

At both events, Zola Nene, celebrated chef, author and television personality, is supporting the campaign as a Hands-On Hero Ambassador. For Zola, the focus on food, children and learning is personal. She has often spoken about food as memory, care and connection, and about the importance of nourishing children if they are expected to learn, concentrate and thrive.

In Cape Town, the Stormers organisation will join the event to volunteer and give its 67 minutes, bringing the energy of one of Cape Town’s most recognised rugby brands to a Mandela Day initiative built on teamwork and community pride.

Cape Town participants can also extend their Mandela Day experience at DHL Stadium. Those booking for the Hands-On Event can add the Business Lounge Experience at checkout for R195 per person, which includes Business Lounge access, a ticket to the DHL Stormers vs Griquas match, a burger and access to the cash bar. Participants can also receive access to a discount link for 50% off general access tickets to the match.

Marc Lottering is backing the campaign with his familiar Cape Town voice and deep connection to local audiences, and GoodLuck is also supporting the Cape Town event, adding its voice to the call for South Africans to turn good intentions into action.

In Johannesburg, cricket star Lungi Ngidi will lend his support to the Hands-On Heroes campaign, helping to amplify the call for individuals, companies and communities to book their spots and use their 67 minutes with purpose.

For companies, the campaign offers a ready-planned Mandela Day staff engagement opportunity. Teams do not have to create an activity from scratch, source materials or find beneficiaries. Ladles of Love has already built the platform. Companies simply book, arrive and take part in a shared volunteer experience with clear community value.

“Companies have a powerful role to play,” says Diliberto. “Many teams want to do something meaningful on Mandela Day, but organising it from scratch takes time and capacity. Hands-On Heroes makes it easy to take part, but the impact is still real. Your team arrives, gives their time and becomes part of something much bigger.”

Mandela Day honours the 67 years Nelson Mandela devoted to public service and the fight for human rights. For Ladles of Love, those 67 minutes are a way to turn care into something children can hold, use, eat, learn from and grow with.

The invitation is simple. ‘Give us a hand'.

Event details:

Cape Town: DHL Stadium, Friday, 17 July 2026

Johannesburg: Johannesburg EXPO Centre, Nasrec, Wednesday, 22 July 2026

Create Your Own Hands-On Hero events: 17 to 31 July 2026

Bookings and information: www.LadlesofLove.org.za

Group bookings: events@ladlesoflove.org.za

About Ladles of Love Ladles of Love is a South African non-profit organisation founded by Danny Diliberto in 2014. What began as a small soup kitchen in Cape Town has grown into a national movement, which has delivered over 48 million meals to vulnerable people since 2020. Today, the organisation focuses on supporting preschool education with good nutrition, whilst uplifting and resourcing principals and teachers through skills development and training. Ladles of Love Mandela Day Hands-On Events give the public a direct, organised way to volunteer and hand-make items to help feed and nurture future leaders.

Source: Briefly News