Durban rallies behind matrics with Mandela Day bucket campaign at Pavilion Mall

This Mandela Day, Durban is taking bold steps toward education justice. SA Harvest’s Buckets of Nutrition for Matriculants campaign will activate at Pavilion Mall on 18 July, made possible by the generous support of the mall, which has not only offered its space as a platform for impact but has also sponsored the first wave of care buckets.

From 10h00 to 17h00, volunteers, shoppers, and community partners will come together to pack hundreds of buckets filled with shelf-stable nutritious food, hygiene essentials, and exam stationery. These care packages will be distributed to matriculants in under-resourced communities across KwaZulu-Natal, restoring dignity, supporting focus, and helping learners face their final exams with confidence.

As the first sponsor steps forward, others are encouraged to join — one bucket at a time — turning this public activation into a shared act of hope and collective responsibility. The event will feature live music, school choirs, interactive experiences, and QR code donation stations to make it easy for anyone to contribute.

SA Harvest’s national logistics partner, the Road Freight Association, is playing a vital role in scaling the campaign beyond Durban. Through its member network, the Association is mobilising warehouse space, delivery capacity, and transport support to ensure these buckets reach matriculants in hard-to-reach communities across KwaZulu-Natal and beyond.

The campaign addresses the urgent crisis highlighted in the 2024 SERI Food (In)Security Report. Over 63% of South African households are food insecure, with millions of children affected by hunger, poor nutrition, and its academic fallout. Despite this, the country continues to waste around 10 million tonnes of food each year.

“Food rescue is not a handout; it’s a powerful tool for systemic change,” says Ozzy Nel, COO of SA Harvest. “This campaign is about meeting young people where they are and giving them a real chance at success. It’s not charity – it’s justice.”

In 2024, SA Harvest’s Mandela Month campaign saw 2,879 buckets packed across three cities, supported by over 350 volunteers and distributed via a network of 19 community-based organisations. In December, a special edition in collaboration with Daily Maverick brought relief to parents of hospitalised children in Nelson Mandela Bay.

To get involved:

• Sponsor a bucket (R500 each)
• Join us at Pavilion Mall on 18 July from 10h00 to 17h00
• Partner with SA Harvest for corporate activations or logistics
• Donate online via QR code or visit www.saharvest.org

Let’s turn Mandela Day into a movement that nourishes futures – one bucket at a time.

This year’s campaign invites all South Africans to play a part. You can sponsor a bucket for R500, join a packing event at Pavilion Mall on 18 July, or partner with SA Harvest for in-house activations or logistics support. Donations can be made at https://saharvest.org/buckets/, using the reference “Buckets”.