Thousands of volunteers filled the DHL Stadium in Cape Town today with the kind of Mandela Day vibe South Africa loves, giving 67 minutes at Ladles of Love’s Hands-On Heroes event to create food, learning and development resources for preschool children, as Johannesburg prepares to host the next event at the Johannesburg EXPO Centre, Nasrec, on Wednesday, 22 July 2026.
The Cape Town event brought together individuals, families, schools, companies and community groups around one purpose: supporting Ladles of Love in providing nutrition and education to 20,000 preschool children in under-resourced communities.
Across the venue, there was gees, colour, music, laughter and sleeves rolled up. Volunteers moved through the Make, Create, Craft and Grow zones, making sandwiches, packing nutrition boxes, creating early learning materials, making teaching aids and planting vegetable boxes with seeds.
For Ladles of Love, the response showed that Mandela Day still matters deeply to South Africans when people are given a clear, meaningful and hands-on way to take part.
“Today was a reminder of what Nelson Mandela stood for – ordinary people taking responsibility for making their communities better places,” says Danny Diliberto, Founder of Ladles of Love. “At Ladles of Love, we see that spirit every day because our volunteers show up every day. But Mandela Day gives the whole country an opportunity to step in and make a difference. Cape Town has once again shown up in incredible numbers, and we hope Johannesburg will do the same next week. This year’s International Mandela Day theme, ‘It’s still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity,’ reminds us that creating change is not someone else’s responsibility – it belongs to all of us. Every person who volunteers, every small act of service helps build stronger communities.”
Cape Town performer Marc Lottering, who joined the event, said the spirit in the stadium captured what Ladles of Love continues to do so well.
“I’m so happy to be here. I always say for Ladles of Love, it’s always a yes. I love the work that they do,” says Lottering. “What’s amazing for me today, once again, is to see everybody from all walks of life coming together to do something so important.
“We take it for granted in the morning. You open the fridge, there’s going to be eggs, there’s going to be bread. It’s not a reality for so many people in our nation. So this, doing this today, is amazing. We shouldn’t just do it on Mandela Day.”
The focus now shifts to Johannesburg, where Ladles of Love is calling on residents, companies, schools, clubs, faith groups and families to book for the next Hands-On Heroes event on Wednesday, 22 July.
“I was super excited to be there at the craft zone for the hands-on event. It was such an incredible vibe at the DHL stadium, people had such a good time doing some good, which you always love to see. There was so much camaraderie with everybody helping each other and making friends, what a beautiful thing Ladles of Love has done”, said Zola Nene, chef, author, television personality and Hands-On Heroes Ambassador.
“Johannesburg still has the chance to show up,” says Diliberto. “The activities are ready, the need is real, and there is still time to book. We are asking people to bring themselves, their teams and their families, and give us a hand.”
For companies, the event offers a ready-planned Mandela Day staff engagement opportunity. Teams do not need to source materials, find beneficiaries or create an activity from scratch. Ladles of Love has done the groundwork. Teams simply book, arrive and take part.
Tickets are R300 per person, with discounted tickets available for students and pensioners at R200. Each ticket also helps provide a child with two healthy meals a day for a month.
Book on LadlesofLove.org.za
The Rand Show, produced by Dogan Exhibitions and Events, has been named PR Campaign of the Year at the AAXO ROAR Awards, celebrating a campaign that delivered standout impact through strategic storytelling, strong media partnerships and measurable audience momentum.
In the same awards programme, The Rand Show (Dogan Exhibitions and Events) also received an Excellence in Marketing certificate as well as a Certificate of Recognition in Exhibition Promotion through Social Media, reinforcing the show’s continued strength in delivering high-performing, visitor-driven campaigns and a consistently compelling consumer proposition.
“The Rand Show is a brand like no other — and this award is a powerful acknowledgement of the work that goes into keeping it fresh, relevant and exciting for the public year after year,” says Adele Hartdegen, CEO of The Rand Show. “We’re proud of the campaign and grateful to our partners and the media who helped us amplify what makes the Rand Show such an iconic experience. The focus remains on delivering a show that feels bigger, better, and worth the visit – every single year.”
The PR Campaign of the Year recognition highlights an approach that positioned PR where it delivers the most value: at the strategy table, tightly aligned with the show’s commercial objectives and marketing roadmap.
“Our role was to work alongside Adele and The Rand Show team at leadership level – where PR belongs – with a clear, shared line of sight to the end goal,” says Sarah Martin, Agency Director at The Lime Envelope. “It was a true partnership: no egos, no noise – just a laser focus on outcomes, teamwork, and a client willing to be bold and decisive. That’s when PR becomes the growth lever it should be!”
The Rand Show’s recognition at the AAXO ROAR Awards reinforces its position as one of South Africa’s most established and influential consumer events, and underscores Dogan Exhibitions and Events’ commitment to industry-leading standards in every aspect of an event from event execution through to marketing and communications.
White & Case, a global law firm appointed The Lime Envelope to deliver an event, thanking the company’s clients for their commitment in the year 2022. The Public Relations and Events agency delivered on different aspects of the event, from the deco and set-up, bringing in first class entertainment, arranging delicious food and drinks, sourcing all gifting collateral for the guests, handling the registration for the event as well as sourcing a passionate photographer to take beautiful pictures of the guests and the event itself.
The team successfully brought the theme Summer Lights to a beautiful reality with roaming champagne dress hostesses, live art done by John Adams, an outstanding ballerina act, mirror men who incorporated stylistic movement with exquisite lighting and an aerial orb act.
Watch the video here.
As lockdown eases, we celebrate 18 years of being part of so many amazing public relations and communication campaigns, media relations and events. We’d love to share some of these partnerships with you in our recent show reel. Looking forward to another 18 years of this rewarding journey with special clients. Thank you to our clients – present and future – you have helped fulfil dreams and create jobs!
For more info please email sarah@thelime.co.za
