Several tourism establishments, such as Marriott International, South African National Parks (SANParks) and Tourvest Destination Management, rolled out initiatives in support of International Mandela Day yesterday (July 18).

Marriott International partnered with Chefs with Compassion for its third annual cook-off in honour of Nelson Mandela Day.

The annual cook-off brought together renowned chefs from Marriott hotels across the country, providing cups of soup to more than 350 000 vulnerable individuals nationwide.

"We recognize the pressing need to address food insecurity in our communities, particularly in the wake of recent challenges. Through initiatives like Chefs with Compassion, we strive to support feeding initiatives and make a tangible difference in the lives of struggling South Africans,” said Thuthukile Moloto, representative of Marriott International's South Africa Business Council.

SANParks

SANParks Head Office staff celebrated International Nelson Mandela Day by hosting a soup kitchen for the homeless, in conjunction with Sunny Park Mall in Pretoria.

SANParks General Manager: Media, PR and Stakeholder Relations, Rey Thakhuli, said: “After everything that Nelson Mandela did for this country and the world at large, it is up to individuals and organisations to make a difference in communities around them. He is gone, but his spirit and soul are still with us, and we need to do our bit to commemorate it.” 

Continuing the spirit of Mandela Day for the month of July, SANParks is collecting for, and will be donating sanitary pads to a school and elderly home in Soweto later this month. “We need to take care of our most vulnerable citizens,” said Thakhuli.

Tourvest Destination Management

All the staff of Tourvest Destination Management’s divisions celebrated International Nelson Mandela Day by making soups and putting together parcels to feed the homeless at Mount Calvary Pentecostal Church in Johannesburg.

The outreach started on Monday (July 17) and continued on Tuesday (Mandela Day).

The staff was split into two groups with everyone working for the traditional 67 minutes associated with Mandela Day. The time of 67 minutes is in memory of the 67 years of Nelson Mandela's service to the public.

Tourvest served soup and handed out food for the homeless and parcels for children that contained sweets and toys.