Mandela Day is often described as 67 minutes of service. But for Empact Group and its catering division Feedem, the question was never about minutes. It was about impact. What remains once the volunteers have packed up and gone home?

Last week, Empactors answered that question with action. Alongside the Litterboom Project, volunteers removed 160 bags of waste — a combined 520 kilograms — from the Umgeni River and Beachwood Mangroves in Durban. The clean‑up formed part of a wider set of Mandela Day activities across Gauteng, KwaZulu‑Natal and the Western Cape, designed not only for the day itself but for the weeks and months to follow.

Beyond the day

From food gardens and food parcels to the removal of more than half a tonne of waste, Empact Group’s projects were chosen for their ability to endure. Vegetable gardens at care facilities and children’s homes will continue to produce fresh food. Parcels delivered to families in need provided immediate relief. And the mangrove clean‑up left a measurable difference in a sensitive natural environment.

Salwa Albertyn, Group Human Resources Executive, explains:

“Mandela Day gives businesses an opportunity to examine the value their contribution creates. We wanted our employees’ time and effort to result in something practical, whether that was food reaching a child, vegetables growing in a garden or waste being removed from a sensitive natural environment.”

Hands in the soil, hands on the river

The initiative began at Empact Group’s head office, where employees packed non‑perishable food and essential supplies for No More Victims in Eldorado Park and Wings of Inspiration in Krugersdorp. Gardening tools and seedlings were sent ahead to prepare for planting.

In Gauteng, teams visited the homes directly, preparing soil, adding fertiliser and planting vegetable gardens intended to provide a continuing source of fresh produce for children in care.

In Cape Town, employees spent time with residents at Alta Du Toit, a residential care facility for people with intellectual disabilities, planting gardens to support the facility’s food supply.

KwaZulu‑Natal employees turned their focus to the natural environment. Working with the Litterboom Project, they cleaned the Beachwood Mangroves on the Umgeni River, removing 160 bags of litter and pollutants. The mangroves form part of a fragile coastal habitat where waste carried by rivers and stormwater systems can accumulate, threatening plant life, wildlife and surrounding waterways. Removing more than half a tonne of debris gave the team’s contribution a clear and lasting result.

Care in action

Corporate volunteering carries greater weight when it responds to an identified need. For Empact Group, the purpose was not to tick a box but to support organisations and environments in a useful way. Clothing, toys and other essentials were also donated to children’s homes, extending the reach of the initiative.

Taken together, the projects addressed different forms of need. Food parcels provided immediate support. Vegetable gardens created the prospect of future harvests. The mangrove clean‑up removed pollution from a vulnerable natural area.

“Our colleagues gave their time, energy and effort generously,” Albertyn adds. “The result can be seen in food delivered, gardens planted and hundreds of kilograms of waste removed.”

Mandela Day may place service in the national spotlight for one day each year, but its value rests in what follows. For the communities and environments supported by Empact Group and Feedem, the work was planned with that longer view in mind.

👉 Learn more about Empact Group and its initiatives.