Living our purpose through Festival of Giving
18 July is Nelson Mandela International Day, or Mandela Day for short, inspired by a call Nelson Mandela made in 2008 for the next generation to address social injustices, when he said, “It is in your hands now”.
The Mandela Day initiative is driven by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which envisions a united world taking decisive action against poverty and inequity through community service projects.
One such project is Vodacom’s Festival of Giving. In honour of Mandela’s commitment to servitude and change for a better future, every year for the month of July, Vodacom employees come together in service to local communities.
The theme for Mandela Day 2024, “It’s still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity”, underscores the ongoing responsibility to address these critical issues.
With a growing global awareness of the interconnectedness of climate change, food security, poverty and inequity, Vodacom is committed to combating hunger while focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals and its Foundation pillars of Education and Gender Empowerment.
Employees chose activities that resonated with them, aiming to make a tangible impact through memorable volunteering experiences. Vodacom’s goal is to continue building meaningful relationships with local organisations, creating long-term social impact.
Leadership set the tone by engaging in volunteering initiatives, inspiring and motivating employees to participate in the Festival of Giving.
A helping hand from Midrand
Vodacom Midrand concentrated on food security and education for their Festival of Giving initiatives.
- Art for Earth: Employees created 91 educational posters about environmental matters, inspired by WWF guidelines, to raise awareness and understanding among schoolchildren. The completed posters have been placed at Dr WF Nkomo and Umqhele high schools.
- Toys for joy: In this interactive workshop, employees crafted educational toys from recycled goods and pre-loved clothing. The toys, including beanbags, teddy bears and hand puppets, were donated to early childhood development (ECD) centres.
- Comfort packs: Vodacom employees sorted and packed care items for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). These packs provided practical help and restored a sense of dignity and safety, demonstrating the power of community support.
- Hope packs: A total of 198 staff members packed 9 000 items into 1 000 food parcels for Vodacom’s auxiliary staff and vulnerable learners at Dr WF Nkomo and Umqhele high schools. This initiative supported cognitive development and provided the energy needed for learners to stay alert and focused.
- Micro-volunteering: Employees completed as many micro-volunteering actions as possible on the Vodacom ConnectForGood platform in just 15 minutes. They completed 52 micro-volunteering actions, assisting NPOs through online activities.
- NPO Market: Non-profit organisations set up activation tables and stands to sell their products and educate employees about their work.
Countrywide caring
Vodacom South Africa’s other regions tackled issues ranging from educational support to climate change and childhood cancer.
- Gauteng North and South Regions: Teams visited CHOC houses in Centurion and Diepkloof, donating care packs and lunch. CHOC advocates for the health and well-being of children and teenagers diagnosed with cancer or life-threatening blood disorders and their families.
- Western Region: Staff packed and donated care packs, painted classrooms and donated consumables to Mary Harding School in Athlone, which focuses on the development and care of autistic children.
- Eastern Region: The East London team worked with the Second Chances youth skills development centre, teaching learners about recycling with the Department of Agriculture, planting trees, and donating recycle bins and waste bins. The Gqeberha team supported the launch of the Khanya ECD centre, planting trees, donating, and teaching recycling as a skill.
- Central Region: The Free State team did repairs and donated winter items to Sunflower House Hospice, while the Northern Cape team donated educational equipment, mattresses and blankets to the Lesedi Go Botlhe ECD centre, partnering with PEP.
- KwaZulu-Natal: Teams distributed stationery packs, school shoes and school bags at KwaDinda and Ngqayizivele.
- Limpopo: Staff packed hygiene and stationery packs for distribution at Hluvuka High and helped launch an ECD centre.
- Mpumalanga: The team assisted Silindokuhle Special School with improvements around the premises, care packs and prepared meals.
The Comfort Pack Challenge
As part of our Mandela Month initiatives, Vodacom staff donated comfort packs for distribution to a variety of local charities. The comfort packs were customised to meet the needs of each charity being supported in the region.
| Region | Total number of packs | Total number of employees | Packs / Employees |
| Western Region | 355 | 826 | 43% |
| Mpumalanga | 211 | 75 | 281% |
| Central | 120 | 82 | 146% |
| Eastern Region | 98 | 84 | 117% |
| KZN | 191 | 102 | 187% |
| Midrand | 502 | 3 657 | 14% |
| Limpopo | 91 | 77 | 118% |
As the region that donated the most per employee, Mpumalanga won a mobile library to gift to a deserving organisation of their choice. Our Comfort Pack Challenge was a fantastic opportunity to provide valuable resources to a deserving community and make a lasting impact through the gift of knowledge.
The Comfort Pack Challenge
As part of our Mandela Month initiatives, Vodacom staff donated comfort packs for distribution to a variety of local charities. The comfort packs were customised to meet the needs of each charity being supported in the region.
| Region | Total number of packs | Total number of employees | Packs / Employees |
| Western Region | 355 | 826 | 43% |
| Mpumalanga | 211 | 75 | 281% |
| Central | 120 | 82 | 146% |
| Eastern Region | 98 | 84 | 117% |
| KZN | 191 | 102 | 187% |
| Midrand | 502 | 3 657 | 14% |
| Limpopo | 91 | 77 | 118% |
As the region that donated the most per employee, Mpumalanga won a mobile library to gift to a deserving organisation of their choice. Our Comfort Pack Challenge was a fantastic opportunity to provide valuable resources to a deserving community and make a lasting impact through the gift of knowledge.
Through these diverse and impactful activities, Vodacom employees demonstrated their commitment to social responsibility and community engagement, making a significant difference in the lives of many South Africans during our Festival of Giving.
