Chefs with Compassion breaks record with 142 462 litres of soup for Mandela Day
'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:
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