2,500 FirstRand Employees Unite to Fight Hunger During Mandela Month

The nationwide campaign, coordinated through the FirstRand Volunteers (FRV) programme in partnership with Meals on Wheels, saw employees from all nine provinces pack 2,500 nutritious food parcels while also establishing food-producing gardens at schools, early childhood development centres, old age homes and community organisations.

The initiative, valued at more than R10 million, provided food supplies, agricultural inputs, compost, seedlings, irrigation support and ongoing training to between 50 and 60 beneficiary organisations across the country.

These organisations play a vital role in providing daily meals, education and care to children, elderly people and vulnerable families, making the programme's impact far-reaching beyond Mandela Month.

According to Kone Gugushe, Head of Social Investing at FirstRand Group, the initiative reflects the spirit of Nelson Mandela's legacy by turning goodwill into meaningful action.

"Nelson Mandela Month reminds us that meaningful change starts with action. Through the FirstRand Volunteers Programme, our employees came together across the country to deliver both immediate relief and long-term food security solutions for the communities we serve," Gugushe said.

Meals on Wheels, which has served South African communities for decades, partnered with FirstRand Volunteers to ensure the programme addressed both immediate hunger and longer-term food sustainability through community gardening projects.

Volunteers spent the day assembling garden planters, planting vegetable seedlings and packing food parcels, with support from Meals on Wheels facilitators and community partners.

The initiative forms part of FirstRand's broader employee volunteering programme, which encourages employees to contribute their time and skills to causes that strengthen communities and create lasting social impact.

As South Africa continues to grapple with food insecurity and rising living costs, partnerships between the private sector and community organisations remain an important way of supporting vulnerable households while building more resilient communities.