Chefs with Compassion breaks Mandela Day soup record, serving over 600 000 meals
Chefs with Compassion (CWC), the organisation known for turning surplus food into meals, has made history with its 2025 Mandela Day initiative, cooking up an unprecedented 142 462 litres of soup, nearly 40 000 litres more than its 2024 total.
This translates into over 609 000 warm meals shared with communities in need across the country.
The annual “67000litres for Mandela Day” campaign unites community kitchens, chefs, culinary students, corporates, and volunteers with one mission: to feed the nation using food that would otherwise be wasted.
“This year’s success has been phenomenal,” said Chef Coo Pillay, founding director of Chefs with Compassion and president of SA Chefs.
He noted that the Tsebo Group, which contributed over 24 000 litres through their nationwide kitchens, played a standout role. “Their commitment shows what’s possible when an organisation truly embraces compassion,” he added.
More than 80 000 litres of the soup were prepared by Chefs with Compassion’s 32 community hubs, which operate year-round. These local kitchens are often the unsung heroes, quietly sustaining communities long after Mandela Day ends.
“Mandela Day is our most visible moment, but for the people in our network, this work never stops,” said Hanneke van Linge, co-founder of CWC and founder of Nosh Food Rescue. “Feeding over 600 000 people with food that would otherwise go to waste is not only possible, it’s powerful. It’s proof of what we can do when compassion drives collective action.”
Corporate and culinary support
The campaign’s success would not have been possible without a strong corporate and culinary backbone. Besides Tsebo Group, partners included:
- Marriott International
- Bon Hotels
- The Capital Hotel Group
- Southern Sun
- Indaba Hotel
- Ster-Kinekor, cooking alongside Chef Keegan Maistry at Guvon Academy
- Premier, donating 2 500 loaves of bread
- Essity, who contributed both soup and sanitation supplies
- The Poultry Industry, with more than 5 tonnes of chicken and 670 dozen eggs
- The Paul and Humile Mashatile Foundation, which provided funding and helped cook
- Compass Insurance, donating 1 000 blankets
- Rebel, supplying safety shoes to all 32 hubs
Melinda Shaw, speaking on behalf of South Africa’s poultry partners, said their donation was more than just food. “When we talk about feeding a nation, it must be with intention, dignity, and heart,” she said. “Our contribution of protein is a symbol of solidarity with those who work tirelessly to fight hunger.”
Chef Dasen Sarugaser, who coordinated culinary schools across the country, described how students from Capsicum, HTA, IHS, and others worked hand-in-hand with chefs and volunteers.
At Ratang Bana in Alexandra, chefs were welcomed with singing, dancing, and a brass band, an emotional reminder of how deeply this work resonates in the community.
“Cooking is one of the most profound acts of care,” said Chef James Khoza, representing the chefs. “On Mandela Day, we are reminded that food is not just sustenance, it’s connection, culture, and community.”
With record-breaking numbers and a country-wide collaborative spirit, Chefs with Compassion has not only set a new benchmark for Mandela Day efforts, it’s shown that when South Africans come together with compassion, no one has to go hungry.
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- Marriott International
- Bon Hotels
- The Capital Hotel Group
- Southern Sun
- Indaba Hotel
- Ster-Kinekor, cooking alongside Chef Keegan Maistry at Guvon Academy
- Premier, donating 2 500 loaves of bread
- Essity, who contributed both soup and sanitation supplies
- The Poultry Industry, with more than 5 tonnes of chicken and 670 dozen eggs
- The Paul and Humile Mashatile Foundation, which provided funding and helped cook
- Compass Insurance, donating 1 000 blankets
- Rebel, supplying safety shoes to all 32 hubs
Melinda Shaw, speaking on behalf of South Africa’s poultry partners, said their donation was more than just food. “When we talk about feeding a nation, it must be with intention, dignity, and heart,” she said. “Our contribution of protein is a symbol of solidarity with those who work tirelessly to fight hunger.”
Chef Dasen Sarugaser, who coordinated culinary schools across the country, described how students from Capsicum, HTA, IHS, and others worked hand-in-hand with chefs and volunteers.
At Ratang Bana in Alexandra, chefs were welcomed with singing, dancing, and a brass band, an emotional reminder of how deeply this work resonates in the community.
“Cooking is one of the most profound acts of care,” said Chef James Khoza, representing the chefs. “On Mandela Day, we are reminded that food is not just sustenance, it’s connection, culture, and community.”
With record-breaking numbers and a country-wide collaborative spirit, Chefs with Compassion has not only set a new benchmark for Mandela Day efforts, it’s shown that when South Africans come together with compassion, no one has to go hungry.
IOL News