Chefs with Compassion is once again rallying the hospitality industry to take meaningful action this Mandela Day through its annual #67000litres for Mandela Day campaign.
Now in its sixth year, this nationwide initiative invites professional kitchens, culinary schools, restaurants, hotels and food producers to come together to rescue food, cook nutritious soup, and feed those who need it most. The 2025 goal is to cook over 100,000 litres of soup on Mandela Day, feeding more than 400,000 people and raising R1 million to sustain Chefs with Compassion’s work over the coming year.
Since its inception in 2020, the campaign has cooked a total of 450,259 litres of soup — served as over 1.8 million cups — to communities across South Africa. Past years have seen remarkable support from the poultry industry, with Quantum Foods (Nulaid), Astral, Rainbow, and Country Bird Holdings (CBH) donating essential protein to boost the nutritional value of every serving.
Confirmed supporters for 2025 already include well-known industry chefs and leading culinary institutions such as Capsicum, HTA, and the International Hotel School. Marriott has also pledged its support through the Marriott Business Council’s CSI programme. The campaign also proudly welcomes the ongoing commitment of participating kitchens such as HTA School of Culinary Art, the International Hotel School, and community-based hubs that serve meals year-round.
“#67000litres is proof that collective action works. The hospitality industry has the power to transform not just ingredients, but lives,” says Chef Coo Pillay, President of SA Chefs and Founding Director of Chefs with Compassion. “Every kitchen that gets involved, every supplier that donates, and every chef who lends their skill makes a tangible difference to someone going hungry.”
Opportunities to participate include:
- Product sponsorships – donate produce, gas, transport, or 20-litre buckets
- Hospitality sponsorships – cook any amount of soup in your hotel, restaurant, kitchen or catering facility
- Kitchen sponsorships – back a participating soup kitchen on Mandela Day
- Corporate experiences – team-building events where staff cook alongside chefs using rescued ingredients
- Corporate sponsorship packages:
- Standard package (R16,700): 1.5-hour session for 10 people; CWC provides rescued ingredients, kitchen, equipment and gear
- Bronze package (R40,000): As above, with a professional chef cooking alongside your team
- Silver package (R75,000): 2.5-hour session for 20 people with a chef and full kitchen setup
- Golden Ticket (R150,000): Four 1.5-hour sessions for 40 people each, cooking with a well-known industry chef
- Handover experience (R16,700): 2-hour session for 10 people to deliver soup to a beneficiary community
Whether it’s two litres from a café or 200 from a hotel kitchen, every contribution adds up.
To register or enquire about sponsorship, contact Geraldine at geraldine.engelman@cwc.org.za.
