Honouring Mandela Day:
67 Acts of Dignity,
One Lunch Pack at a Time
Every year on July 18th, South Africans, and people around the world, come together to honour Nelson Mandela’s legacy through service and kindness. Known as Mandela Day, this International Day of Action commemorates the 67 years that Madiba dedicated to fighting for justice, human rights, and equality. It’s a call for each of us to devote 67 minutes of our time to making the world a better place.
At Elite Fire Protection, we proudly honoured this call once again in 2025. Even with a small team, our impact remains significant. We chose to focus our 67 minutes on two initiatives that speak to human dignity and everyday survival, food security and personal hygiene.
The Hunger Crisis in South Africa
Recent data paints a stark picture of hunger across our nation.
The 2024 General Household Survey by Stats SA reports that 22.2% of households, that’s about 14 million South Africans suffering from inadequate or severely inadequate access to food during the year. According to Stats SA, in 2024, about 1 in 4 households faced hunger, with the Northern and Eastern Cape particularly hit the hardest, affecting over 30% of homes in these regions. Alarmingly, 23% of children in South Africa experienced severe food poverty, unable to consume at least two of the recommended five food groups per day.
Working Individuals
Hunger drains energy, reduces focus, and limits productivity. With over 33% unemployment (nearly 8 million people) and ongoing business closures in 2025, many can’t afford reliable, nutritious meals. Even those with jobs face food insecurity, threatening overall economic stability.
School-Going Children
Malnutrition impairs learning and cognitive development. Studies show hungry children perform worse academically, struggle to focus, and may repeat grades.
Chronic undernutrition (undernutrition for a longer period of time), such as stunting (short for age) affects 27% of under-5s, and undermines their long-term potential.
Children Under 5
For children under five, the impact of hunger is devastating, where stunting, wasting, anaemia, and even impairments to the immune system are common. Tragically, malnutrition contributes to child mortality and leaves lifelong health challenges.
Why This Matters
Hunger goes beyond being “sad.” It is a deep-rooted obstacle, reducing economic performance, prolonged inequality, and threatening the health of South Africans. When people can’t access nutritious food, our communities and economy suffer.
That’s why initiatives like our Mandela Day lunch and hygiene packs matter. Not just symbolically, but as part of a broader effort to combat hunger and support well-being for those most in need and commonly overlooked.
67 Lunch Packs for 67 Minutes
In honour of Mandela’s 67 years of public service, our team prepared 67 lunch packs filled with:
- High-protein sandwiches,
- A piece of fresh fruit, and
- A juice box.
These lunch packs were hand-delivered to individuals standing on street corners in search of work and to members of the homeless community. These are people who are often overlooked, yet they represent resilience and the will to survive in the face of adversity. We wanted to meet them with compassion, nourishment, and dignity.
Hygiene Packs for Our Local Car Guards
We also created hygiene care packs for the car guards who serve our office park daily. These individuals are often the unsung heroes of our cities, providing safety, courtesy, and support with little recognition. The packs included essentials such as soap, toothpaste, and sanitary items. Basic items that make a world of difference in someone’s everyday life.
Why Mandela Day Matters
Mandela Day reminds us that “It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it”, as Mandela famously said. It is not just a celebration, but a movement for positive change, as outlined on the official Nelson Mandela Foundation website. The day urges individuals, organisations, and corporates to take action, inspire change, and make every day a Mandela Day.
Linking to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Our Mandela Day initiative aligns with our broader social responsibility strategy at Elite Fire Protection, where we actively contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year’s outreach contributes to:
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger, by providing nutritious meals to those in need.
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, by offering hygiene packs that promote health and sanitation.
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, by focusing on vulnerable groups in our community who are often excluded from social and economic opportunities.
We believe that business has a responsibility not only to grow profitably but also to serve people and the planet. Mandela Day is an opportunity for us to step into that responsibility with empathy and action.
A Thank You to Our Team
To our small but mighty team: thank you for packing, preparing, and showing up with heart. It’s proof that you don’t need a large team to make a meaningful impact, just a shared purpose.
Final Thought: Make Every Day a Mandela Day
While Mandela Day falls once a year, the spirit behind it is something we strive to live out all year long, through the way we do business, serve our clients, and engage our community.
As Madiba once said:
“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”
Let’s continue to make a difference. One lunch pack, one act of kindness, one meaningful moment at a time.
