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.'
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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:
