For Mandela Day, Brand South Africa got involved in a number of initiatives, in partnerships with GEM, and the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
On 18 July 2017, the world celebrated former president Nelson Mandela’s birthday, which was declared by the United Nations in 2009 as Nelson Mandela International Day. Brand South Africa commemorated the legacy of Tata Madiba – as he was affectionately known – by partnering with the Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) and Going the Extra Mile (GEM). These partnerships were geared towards building pride, patriotism, and a spirit of active citizenship in the country.
Brand South Africa’s partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation is geared towards lending a hand to the Adelaide Tambo School for the physically challenged and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Soweto. At the Adelaide Tambo School, stakeholders handed over a computer centre, linen for the learners, and washing machines. Johannesburg Parks supported with the face-lift of the garden. At the YMCA, stakeholders handed over another computer centre, conducted mentoring sessions on career development and financial management.
In partnership with GEM, Brand South Africa visited the New Jerusalem Children’s Home in Midrand. New Jerusalem Children’s Home is a centre for abandoned children aged between 1 to 18 years old. In this regard, the South African Men’s Hockey Team played their part by interacting with the children at the orphanage. The following activities took place:
- Painting of the new building
- Motivational address of the children by South African Men’s Hockey Team Captain
- Hockey activity at the sports field – an introduction to Hockey
This act of goodwill was aimed at galvanising citizens into embodying the values and spirit of Madiba and playing their part for our country’s growth and development.
