South African hospitality teams unite to tackle hunger
This was all thanks to the combined efforts of Marriott International and the non-profit organisation Chefs with Compassion.
Together, they prepared 1,500 litres of nourishing soup as part of the national #67000litres Challenge held on 18 July, according to Spice4Life.
Mandela Day honours the legacy of Nelson Mandela by encouraging South Africans to dedicate 67 minutes of service to their communities, one minute for each year Mandela served the nation.
This year, Marriott's South African team, comprised of volunteers from 14 hotels including The Westin, Marriott Hotels, AC Hotels by Marriott, and Protea Hotels by Marriott, participated enthusiastically.
Each team was tasked with cooking as much soup as possible within a 67-minute window. They used donated, surplus, or rescued ingredients that would otherwise have gone to waste.
Chefs with Compassion distributed the prepared meals to community kitchens and non-profit organisations nationwide.
This provided immediate relief through warm, nutritious food.
Johann Nortje, Chairperson of Marriott International's Southern Africa Business Council, emphasised the deeper meaning behind the initiative.
'Hospitality is about service every day, but Mandela Day challenges us to take that service beyond our doors into the communities we serve.
Working with Chefs with Compassion allows us to use our skills and resources to fight hunger, reduce waste, and honour Madiba's legacy.'
South Africa faces a stark reality of over 20 million people hungry, while more than 10 million tonnes of food is wasted every year.
The #67000litres Challenge, now in its sixth year, tackles both issues by transforming surplus food into nutritious meals.
Since 2020, the campaign has cooked over 450,000 litres of soup, providing more than 1.8 million servings across the country.
Chef Coovashan Pillay, Founding Director of Chefs with Compassion and Food & Beverage Manager at Protea Hotel by Marriott Johannesburg Wanderers, highlighted the impact.
'Feeding the hungry is one of the most powerful acts of service. With Marriott's support, we're able to reach more communities and make a bigger impact in the fight against hunger.'
Chefs with Compassion is a volunteer-driven organisation that links chefs, hospitality teams, and community groups.
It aims to rescue edible food and serve those most in need. The campaign also raises awareness about food waste and the importance of sustainability in the South African food industry.
This year's cook-off significantly contributed to the broader national effort, with teams preparing over 142,000 litres of soup nationwide.
This was enough to feed more than 600,000 people.
Donations included more than five tonnes of chicken and eggs from the poultry industry, fresh vegetables, bread, and other essentials. This was all supplied by various partners who stand in solidarity against hunger.
The initiative shows how unity and compassion among South Africans can transform food waste into valuable meals, honouring Mandela's spirit and helping those who need it most.
Mandela Day continues to be a powerful reminder that every South African can make a difference, whether through 67 minutes or more, to build a hunger-free nation.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
12 minutes ago
- The Citizen
Eskom: Winter outlook remains positive
Eskom says the power system continues to operate reliably, showing ongoing resilience in effectively meeting winter electricity demand. 'When occasional system constraints arise, they are effectively managed through the strategic deployment of emergency reserves during morning and evening peak periods,' the power utility said on Friday. Since May 15, there has been no loadshedding, with only 26 hours recorded between April 1 and July 24. With 37 days of Eskom's Winter Outlook period still remaining, Eskom said the system remains well-positioned to maintain stability and meet demand effectively. 'As of today [Friday], unplanned outages are at 11 695MW and the available generation capacity is 30 236MW. Tonight's electricity demand is expected to reach 27 715MW. The current capacity is sufficient to meet both today's demand and anticipated requirements over the weekend. 'During the week of July 18 to 24, planned maintenance averaged 5 050MW. Over the same period, the Energy Availability Factor (EAF) ranged between 62% and 66%, with the month-to-date average further increasing to 63.11%,' Eskom said. To further strengthen grid stability, Eskom is planning to return a total of 3 960MW of generation capacity to service ahead of the evening peak on Monday, July 28, and throughout the coming week. Between April 1 and July 24, the Unplanned Capability Loss Factor (UCLF), which measures the percentage of generation capacity lost due to unplanned outages, decreased to 28.99%. This marks a reduction of an ~0.5% compared to the previous week but remains about 2.4% higher than the 26.60% recorded during the same period last year. 'As of Thursday, the UCLF stood at 23.79%, consistently indicating a notable improvement in performance. The open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) load factor decreased this week, reaching 1.86%, down from the 8.6% recorded during the previous week ( 11 to 17 July). This indicates less reliance on OCGTs,' Eskom said. From April 1 to July 24, diesel spend remains within the budget allocated for April 1 to July 31. 'The Winter Outlook, published on May 5, covering the period ending August 31, remains valid. It indicates that loadshedding will not be necessary if unplanned outages stay below 13 000MW. If outages rise to 15 000MW, loadshedding would be limited to a maximum of 21 days out of 153 days and restricted to Stage 2,' Eskom said. The power utility has encouraged all South Africans to use electricity efficiently throughout the winter season. To help manage household electricity consumption, Eskom customers are encouraged to use the Eskom Residential Calculator, a convenient tool for tracking and optimising energy usage:
The Citizen
12 minutes ago
- The Citizen
Power system continues to meet winter demand
Eskom says the power system continues to operate reliably, showing ongoing resilience in effectively meeting winter electricity demand. 'When occasional system constraints arise, they are effectively managed through the strategic deployment of emergency reserves during morning and evening peak periods,' the power utility said on Friday. Since May 15, there has been no loadshedding, with only 26 hours recorded between April 1 and July 24. With 37 days of Eskom's Winter Outlook period still remaining, Eskom said the system remains well-positioned to maintain stability and meet demand effectively. 'As of today [Friday], unplanned outages are at 11 695MW and the available generation capacity is 30 236MW. Tonight's electricity demand is expected to reach 27 715MW. The current capacity is sufficient to meet both today's demand and anticipated requirements over the weekend. 'During the week of July 18 to 24, planned maintenance averaged 5 050MW. Over the same period, the Energy Availability Factor (EAF) ranged between 62% and 66%, with the month-to-date average further increasing to 63.11%,' Eskom said. To further strengthen grid stability, Eskom is planning to return a total of 3 960MW of generation capacity to service ahead of the evening peak on Monday, July 28, and throughout the coming week. Between April 1 and July 24, the Unplanned Capability Loss Factor (UCLF), which measures the percentage of generation capacity lost due to unplanned outages, decreased to 28.99%. This marks a reduction of an ~0.5% compared to the previous week but remains about 2.4% higher than the 26.60% recorded during the same period last year. 'As of Thursday, the UCLF stood at 23.79%, consistently indicating a notable improvement in performance. The open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) load factor decreased this week, reaching 1.86%, down from the 8.6% recorded during the previous week ( 11 to 17 July). This indicates less reliance on OCGTs,' Eskom said. From April 1 to July 24, diesel spend remains within the budget allocated for April 1 to July 31. 'The Winter Outlook, published on May 5, covering the period ending August 31, remains valid. It indicates that loadshedding will not be necessary if unplanned outages stay below 13 000MW. If outages rise to 15 000MW, loadshedding would be limited to a maximum of 21 days out of 153 days and restricted to Stage 2,' Eskom said. The power utility has encouraged all South Africans to use electricity efficiently throughout the winter season. To help manage household electricity consumption, Eskom customers are encouraged to use the Eskom Residential Calculator, a convenient tool for tracking and optimising energy usage:
The Star
30 minutes ago
- The Star
Chefs with Compassion breaks record with 142 462 litres of soup for Mandela Day
In a powerful display of national compassion, Chefs with Compassion has smashed all previous records in its sixth annual Mandela Day initiative, cooking a staggering 142 462 litres of soup, enough to feed 609 848 people across South Africa. The 2025 edition of the #67000litres for Mandela Day campaign brought together culinary schools, community kitchens, corporates, chefs, and volunteers to transform surplus food into nourishment for people in need. 'This year's success has been phenomenal,' said Chef Coo Pillay, founding director of Chefs with Compassion and president of SA Chefs. 'We exceeded last year's total by almost 40 000 litres. A standout contributor was the Tsebo Group, whose nationwide involvement added over 24 000 litres to our total. Their commitment shows what's possible when an organisation truly embraces compassion.' Chefs with Compassion's 32 active hubs – community kitchens that cook with compassion year-round – contributed more than 80 000 litres, testament to their growing strength and preparedness. These unsung heroes, who serve their communities daily, were the backbone of this record-breaking effort. 'Chefs with Compassion is rooted in food rescue,' said Hanneke van Linge, founding director of CWC and founder of Nosh Food Rescue. 'Mandela Day is our most visible moment, but for the people in our network, this work never stops. 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 partners played a pivotal role, including: Tsebo Group (all kitchens countrywide, 24 000 litres) Marriott International (14 hotels) Bon Hotels, The Capital Hotel Group, Southern Sun, and Indaba Hotel Ster-Kinekor, who cooked alongside Chef Keegan Maistry at Guvon Academy Primedia Head Office and Primedia Broadcasting Essity, who cooked soup and donated sanitation supplies Premier, who donated 2 500 loaves of bread The Poultry Industry, led by Melinda Shaw via the Poultry Bulletin, which donated over 5 tonnes of chicken from Rainbow, Astral, and Country Bird Holdings, representing R67 000 worth of chicken from each of the three companies, as well as Nulaid, with a donation of 670 dozen eggs in Johannesburg and in Cape Town Turn & Slice, whose generous fresh produce donation helped stock kitchens across the country The Paul and Humile Mashatile Foundation, which contributed financially and cooked alongside Chef Moses Moloi Compass Insurance, who donated 1,000 blankets Rebel, who donated safety shoes for all 32 CWC hubs Chefs such as Moses Moloi, Napo Ramaili and Thabo Letsholo, who cooked alongside corporate sponsors
