During Mandela Month, dozens of community centres and homes for the elderly across the country will benefit from Old Mutual community initiatives. In Alexandra and Soweto on 18 July, the spotlight was on addressing poverty and bridging the economic gap by delivering Madiba magic to over 200 elderly citizens and thousands across the country.

The activities were hosted at Safe-Hub Alexandra and Safe-Hub Jabulani, respectively, providing a vibrant community setting for the day’s activities.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation’s call to action on Mandela Day this year is as clear as it is concise: let’s renew our efforts to combat poverty and inequality. Corporate and communities across the world are urged to help build a society that is firmly grounded in justice and shared humanity.

“As a Responsible Business that is committed to promoting socio-economic reform, we endorse the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s call and welcome every opportunity to honour Madiba and uphold his values by helping those who need it most,” says Sanelisiwe Nkuta, General Manager, Old Mutual Mass and Foundation Cluster.

Old Mutual staff, in collaboration with Safe-Hub and suppliers, facilitated free wellness screenings and informative physical and financial fitness sessions. A soup kitchen, exciting giveaways such as food parcels, blankets, scarves, beanies, socks, and other branded gifts kept the elderly entertained and motivated.

“Our community involvement in 2025 includes continuing to research and explore ways to drive financial inclusion and ensure that the most vulnerable (grant recipients) are catered to through essential products that effectively address their needs. We are able to drive this through partnerships with dynamic local organisations such as Gcwalisa and Amandla Safe-Hub.

Gcwalisa is a community-minded retail model that’s making nutritious food and basic household products accessible in communities such as Alexandra, while Amandla Safe-Hubs operate as safe, uplifting collaborative ecosystems of local partners and experts.

“We are very excited to endorse and support the Safe-Hub initiatives,” says Nkuta. “Developed in South Africa and now expanding to the world, every Safe-Hub is designed to effectively open doors to a better future through better education, health, sports training, employability, and entrepreneurship.”