This Mandela Day, make your 67 minutes count with Chefs with Compassion’s #67000litres campaign
Compassion that turns surplus food into nourishment
This Mandela Day, South Africans are invited to be part of a national act of compassion that turns surplus food into nourishment—and 67 minutes into food for people in need. With an ambitious new target of 100 000 litres of soup, Chefs with Compassion is aiming to feed 400 000 people this Mandela Day.
Whether it’s a litre of soup from a home kitchen or a team-building day with colleagues, this inclusive campaign invites everyone to take part—individuals, families, businesses, and community groups alike.
Image: Supplied
Chefs with Compassion’s flagship initiative, #67000litres for Mandela Day, is back for its sixth year—and the call to action is simple: cook, donate, or spread the word. Whether you’re a home cook with a few extra ingredients, a community group looking to make a difference, or a business wanting to give back, there’s a way for everyone to get involved.
Since 2020, the campaign has cooked a staggering 450 259 litres of soup, serving more than 1.8 million cups to hungry South Africans. In 2025, the goal is to cook more than 100,000 litres of soup, feeding over 400 000 people and raising funds to sustain Chefs with Compassion’s work throughout the year.
Now in its sixth year, #67000litres has already served over 1.8 million cups of soup to communities in need. And with support from leading culinary schools, chefs, community kitchens and corporates like Marriott, 2025 is set to be the biggest year yet.
Image: Supplied
Participants already confirmed include culinary schools like Capsicum, HTA, and International Hotel School, as well as community kitchens and well-known chefs from across the country. Marriott has also joined the movement through its Business Council’s CSI programme.
“Mandela Day is about service, and there is no more direct form of service than feeding someone who would otherwise go hungry,” says Chef Coo Pillay, President of SA Chefs and Founding Director of Chefs with Compassion. “Whether you’re making one litre or one hundred, you’re part of a movement that’s restoring dignity, reducing food waste, and showing what compassion looks like.”
How to take part:
- Cook at home: Use what’s in your kitchen and share soup in your community
- Donate R167: Every donation helps fuel the campaign and support community kitchens
- Get your company involved: Sign up to back one of the kitchens participating in #67000litres for Mandela Day
- Spread the word: Share your #67000litres story online
No pot is too small. No act of kindness too simple. Every contribution brings us closer to a country where no one goes to bed hungry.
To register, donate or find a participating kitchen near you, visit www.cwc.org.za. Chefs with Compassion is a volunteer-based movement of chefs, culinary schools, and community kitchens dedicated to rescuing food and feeding those in need. Since its inception in 2020, the organisation has served more than 8 million meals to vulnerable South Africans.