Thousands of volunteers filled the DHL Stadium in Cape Town today with the kind of Mandela Day vibe South Africa loves, giving 67 minutes at Ladles of Love’s Hands-On Heroes event to create food, learning and development resources for preschool children, as Johannesburg prepares to host the next event at the Johannesburg EXPO Centre, Nasrec, on Wednesday, 22 July 2026.
The Cape Town event brought together individuals, families, schools, companies and community groups around one purpose: supporting Ladles of Love in providing nutrition and education to 20,000 preschool children in under-resourced communities.
Across the venue, there was gees, colour, music, laughter and sleeves rolled up. Volunteers moved through the Make, Create, Craft and Grow zones, making sandwiches, packing nutrition boxes, creating early learning materials, making teaching aids and planting vegetable boxes with seeds.
For Ladles of Love, the response showed that Mandela Day still matters deeply to South Africans when people are given a clear, meaningful and hands-on way to take part.
“Today was a reminder of what Nelson Mandela stood for – ordinary people taking responsibility for making their communities better places,” says Danny Diliberto, Founder of Ladles of Love. “At Ladles of Love, we see that spirit every day because our volunteers show up every day. But Mandela Day gives the whole country an opportunity to step in and make a difference. Cape Town has once again shown up in incredible numbers, and we hope Johannesburg will do the same next week. This year’s International Mandela Day theme, ‘It’s still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity,’ reminds us that creating change is not someone else’s responsibility – it belongs to all of us. Every person who volunteers, every small act of service helps build stronger communities.”
Cape Town performer Marc Lottering, who joined the event, said the spirit in the stadium captured what Ladles of Love continues to do so well.
“I’m so happy to be here. I always say for Ladles of Love, it’s always a yes. I love the work that they do,” says Lottering. “What’s amazing for me today, once again, is to see everybody from all walks of life coming together to do something so important.
“We take it for granted in the morning. You open the fridge, there’s going to be eggs, there’s going to be bread. It’s not a reality for so many people in our nation. So this, doing this today, is amazing. We shouldn’t just do it on Mandela Day.”
The focus now shifts to Johannesburg, where Ladles of Love is calling on residents, companies, schools, clubs, faith groups and families to book for the next Hands-On Heroes event on Wednesday, 22 July.
“I was super excited to be there at the craft zone for the hands-on event. It was such an incredible vibe at the DHL stadium, people had such a good time doing some good, which you always love to see. There was so much camaraderie with everybody helping each other and making friends, what a beautiful thing Ladles of Love has done”, said Zola Nene, chef, author, television personality and Hands-On Heroes Ambassador.
“Johannesburg still has the chance to show up,” says Diliberto. “The activities are ready, the need is real, and there is still time to book. We are asking people to bring themselves, their teams and their families, and give us a hand.”
For companies, the event offers a ready-planned Mandela Day staff engagement opportunity. Teams do not need to source materials, find beneficiaries or create an activity from scratch. Ladles of Love has done the groundwork. Teams simply book, arrive and take part.
Tickets are R300 per person, with discounted tickets available for students and pensioners at R200. Each ticket also helps provide a child with two healthy meals a day for a month.
Book on LadlesofLove.org.za
Johannesburg event details:
Date: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Venue: Johannesburg EXPO Centre, Nasrec
Activities: Make, Create, Craft or Grow
Tickets: R300 per person
Students and pensioners: R200
Bookings: www.LadlesofLove.org.za
Group bookings: [email protected]
