Mandela Day and beyond: Your guide to Doing Good in our city

Every year on Mandela Day, South Africans, and people across the world, take 67 minutes to do something good. It’s a symbolic tribute to Nelson Mandela’s 67 years of fighting for justice, a gentle but powerful reminder that each of us can make a difference. But what if those 67 minutes were just the beginning?

From a moment to a movement

At the V&A Waterfront, we believe they can be. Here, Mandela Day isn’t just a calendar date. It’s a mindset. A way of showing up: not once a year, but every day, for the people and places that matter.

That’s why we created the Doing Good Directory: a growing collection of credible, local organisations making a real impact across the city. It’s designed to help you turn good intentions into action.

Whether you have an hour to spare, a skill to share, or something sitting at home that could be useful to someone else, there’s always a way to help. “Doing good doesn’t have to be grand to be meaningful,” says Deidre Vrede, Senior Manager: CSI & Wellness  at the V&A Waterfront.

“At the Waterfront, we believe that anyone, anywhere, can be a force for good, whether it’s through time, skills, or something simple like an unused item in your home.”

You don’t need a big budget or a bold idea to make a difference. Just a willingness to start.

Here are a few organisations in the Doing Good Directory showing how small acts can ripple outwards:

• The Little Optimist Trust
  
  Anchored at the Waterfront, this uplifting charity delivers reading packs, teddy bears, and handwritten notes to children facing big challenges – bringing comfort, courage, and joy.
• Ladles of Love
  
  A beloved Cape Town NGO that has redefined community feeding. From school lunch drives to citywide soup kitchens, their work is fuelled by everyday volunteers who choose action over apathy.
• Grow SA
  
  Tucked inside our Portswood Precinct, Grow SA supports young, green-minded entrepreneurs who are reshaping the economy with sustainability at its core.

The Doing Good Directory includes causes across the spectrum, from homelessness and healthcare to education, fighting hunger, elder care, and the green economy. Each listing is an invitation to get involved, in whatever way you can.

This year, instead of asking what you can do for 67 minutes, ask: What can I carry forward from this moment?

• Mentor a young person?
• Volunteer your time or skill to a local cause?
• Donate items you no longer need?
• Make a financial contribution, big or small?
• Rally your team, your family, your street to take part?

At the Waterfront, this spirit of Doing Good runs through everything we do. It’s embedded in our vision of shared value: a neighbourhood that thrives through sustainability, opportunity, and inclusivity. It’s how we help build a better Cape Town, together.

The truth is, change doesn’t start with sweeping gestures. It starts with one person choosing to act. And then doing it again tomorrow.

When enough of us take that first small step, we build something powerful.

A kinder city. A more connected community.

A neighbourhood where everyone belongs, and where doing good is part of how we live.

Explore the Doing Good Directory  and find a cause that speaks to you.

One act can make a world of difference.