How the Santa Shoebox Project is reviving the Christmas clothes tradition for SA's children
In South Africa, the joy of Christmas morning includes a beloved tradition: children stepping out in brand-new “Christmas clothes”.
For generations, families have marked the festive season by buying their children fresh outfits to wear on December 25, a moment of pride, dignity and celebration.
But for many households grappling with rising living costs and widespread unemployment, this simple tradition has quietly slipped out of reach. Increasingly, “Christmas clothes” have become a luxury item, longed for but unaffordable.
This festive season, the Santa Shoebox Project helped restore that joy for thousands. When 76,565 children across South Africa opened their personalised shoeboxes, many discovered not just essentials and toys, but something far more symbolic: the chance to participate in a tradition they thought had passed them by.
This year’s total is more than 1,800 higher than in 2024, bringing the project’s 19-year impact to 1,378,073 children.
At Umusa Uyasilandela crèche in rural KwaZulu-Natal, the cultural significance of “Christmas clothes” was unmistakable.
“Most of the children were excited about the toothpaste and toothbrush, and then the ‘Christmas clothes’,” explained Laurence Ngomezulu.
He described the moment when one little boy from a severely impoverished family spotted the outfit inside his box:
The child “dropped everything and beamed at the sight of a brand new green striped outfit”, the first new clothes he had ever owned.
In Bonnievale, Western Cape, Rosie Baardjies of Promised Land Early Childhood Development Centre witnessed how a simple item could transform both a child’s Christmas and a parent’s relief.
“The little girls were excited about hair accessories and the boys about the toy cars, but for the parents, the gratitude was different. One mother was especially grateful for the takkies, her three-year-old didn’t have any shoes at all.”
While clothing and toiletries brought immediate delight, the shoeboxes offered something deeper: the dignity of having something that belongs entirely to you.
Beyond the festive magic, the Santa Shoebox Project’s Legacy initiative continues to build long-term educational infrastructure. Through funds from Virtual Santa Shoeboxes and corporate support, the organisation has so far:
- built seven pre-schools
- trained 2,175 teachers
- installed 223 reading corners
These developments have enhanced education for more than 182,000 children.
Umusa Uyasilandela, which was recently renovated, is one of the centres transformed by this investment. According to Ngomezulu, the change is far-reaching:
“Parents who kept their children at home are now bringing them to the crèche because of its beauty. We’ve seen great long-term changes with new enrolment. Future leaders are going to be raised here.”