Celebrating Mandela Day: One-day Activism Or Catalyst For Real Transformation

Mandela Day, celebrated on the 18th of July each year, is a global call to action to honor the legacy of Nelson Mandela. The day aims to inspire individuals and organizations to dedicate 67 minutes of their time, representing the 67 years Nelson Mandela dedicated towards the fight for social justice against apartheid in South Africa. This was a fight towards the dignity of black people in South Africa and, in essence, inclusion in the economic structures of the country. Many view Mandela's efforts as positive contributions towards the betterment of livelihoods in his country. Drawing from Mandela's contributions, companies have rallied themselves on the 18th of July to perform acts of service in their communities. However, the significance and effectiveness of Mandela Day have been subject to conflicting arguments: are 67 minutes simply cosmetic tokenistic gestures or do they lay the foundation for seeds of sustainable transformation? As we prepare for Mandela day, we explore some of these arguments, and what they mean for the continued relevance and effectiveness of the day.  

Mandela Day's Vision and Purpose

Mandela Day was established with the intention of honoring Nelson Mandela's values and promoting a culture of service and active citizenship. Its mandate goes beyond a single day of action; it seeks to inspire ongoing community engagement and transformation. Mandela Day encourages individuals and organizations to embrace the principles of empathy, equality, reconciliation, and social justice. By embodying these values throughout the year, people can drive sustainable change and contribute to the development of South Africa. In November 2009 the United Nations declared 18 July as Nelson Mandela International Day. All South African, civil society organisations and the citizens of the world supported the Mandela Day initiative by doing acts of good works in their communities.

Conflicting Arguments on Mandela Day

Mandela Day has been largely praised as a powerful symbol of -collective action by corporates and individuals. Where people have had a desire to do something that contributes towards the community, the Mandela Day mandate has provided a blueprint for where and how these efforts can be executed.

Since its inception, numerous projects have been implemented on Mandela Day. This, for example includes (but not limited to) initiatives around the building of schools, donations of food and clothing to the underprivileged, organized workshops, as well as contributions towards the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Together, such initiatives have all contributed to positive change in communities.

Mandela Day proponents argue that, by dedicating time and resources, individuals and corporates can help to address pressing socio-economic issues such as poverty, education, healthcare, and inequality. However, these are highly endemic issues, and expecting a complete re-dress in one day is an impossible target.

In contrast, there have been some critical concerns raised around the true value of Mandela day. Critics have called it "one-day activism" and "cosmetic tokenistic gestures", that barely contributes towards socio-economic transformation in communities. Critics question the long-term sustainability and impact of corporates dedicating just 67 minutes each year, and then carrying on with their normal lives for the rest of the year. One would question where this leaves the beneficiaries who only get to experience your generosity once a year. What does it mean for their continued livelihoods? This is even worse where a corporate decides to visit or contribute towards different initiatives each year. Critics argue that genuine transformation and sustainable livelihoods require continuous commitment, resources, and systemic change - which appears to be a fair proposition.

It is important for entities to critically evaluate whether participating in Mandela Day truly creates lasting change or merely provides temporary relief without addressing the root causes of socio-economic issues.

Positive Impact of NPOs in South Africa

A substantial amount of Mandela Day initiatives in South Africa appear to be largely directed towards contributing to Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs). Entities visit NPOs to engage and assist where required or supply donations. NPOs play a crucial role in addressing grassroot socio-economic challenges and are largely placed within or target disadvantaged communities and beneficiaries. This speaks directly to endemic social challenges such as poverty, youth unemployment and education. Such organizations have shown agency, innovation, and entrepreneurship in their efforts to create sustainable solutions, as they sometimes work with very limited resources to make a positive change. For example, organizations like the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, and the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation have made significant contributions to education, healthcare, housing, and community development.

These NPOs leverage partnerships, engage with communities, and implement effective programs that have a lasting impact. Contributions from corporates largely form the lifeline of NPOs, providing much needed resources to focus on specific socio-economic and development initiatives. These have been key in integrating beneficiaries (especially the youth) into the mainstream economy, especially where educational programs are involved.

NPOs cannot do this work alone; they require contributions from the broader citizenry. But there is no single framework that defines when and how they can be assisted. Thousands of NPOs exist within South Africa, some of which many are not aware of. Perhaps Mandela day is an opportunity to explore and find out where contributions can be directed?

In partnership with corporate entities, NPOs can continue to contribute significant value at the most basic levels of society within South Africa. But this calls for a close collaboration between NPOs and corporates. Entities need to engage meaningfully with NPOs to understand their needs and where they can add the most value. At times, this is assumed, and the risk is that NPOs end up sitting with items they cannot utilise.

Broader Transformation and B-BBEE in South Africa

The arguments surrounding Mandela Day are closely intertwined with sentiments toward broader transformation efforts in South Africa - which has been a pertinent question over the past couple of years. The path that South Africa has taken towards transformation is centered around the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) legislation. The legislation covers five pillars across which the legislation is implemented and monitored. Transformation encompasses the redress of historical inequalities and the pursuit of economic empowerment for black people (with "black" being defined as African, Coloured, and Indian South African citizens according to B-BBEE). The country’s B-BBEE policy aims to address these imbalances by promoting black participation and ownership in the economy. In a similar manner, Mandela Day seeks to contribute towards positive impact in disadvantaged communities.

From a B-BBEE scorecard perspective, transformation initiatives addressing socio-economic challenges such as poverty can be attributed to different pillars, but most commonly contribute towards the Socio-Economic Development (SED) pillar. This pillar is focused on addressing grassroots socio-economic issues within South Africa. This pillar targets immediate and basic human needs, which include shelter, food etc. These are the fundamental basics to get right if we are to build an inclusive economy. Within South Africa, there are a significant number of disadvantaged communities, in the form of informal settlements, townships and rural areas. These are largely occupied by black people, and largely where SED efforts are directed. The B-BBEE codes require for recipients of SED initiatives to be majority black people (75% or more). What is encouraged is for entities to target initiatives within their sector. This contributes towards positive change but also offers some return on investment on the entity (a win-win). This is a useful framework where we seek to drive economic growth and transformation, where there isn't a one-way flow of value, but all parties stand to benefit. It is also important to consider the impact, not just from a scorecard perspective. Even though there is measurement from a scorecard perspective, entities need to be clear on the impact they themselves seek to achieve out of contributions and ensure this is measured. Some sector-codes are restrictive in SED contributions, where it is specified that these need to be sector specific. From a scorecard perspective, this can incorporate sponsorships, employee time, donations etc.

Additionally, the Nelson Mandela Foundation also sets its agenda for the day, where they encourage efforts to be directed. The theme for 2023 according to the foundation is #ItIsInYourHands. For Nelson Mandela International Day 2023, it is the vision of the Nelson Mandela Foundation for the world to unite and act decisively against the consequences of climate change and food insecurity. The foundation has therefore recommended several activities that individuals and entities can embark on in observing the day, which are listed on their website (www.mandeladay.com).

Mandela Day and the B-BBEE SED pillar are both focused on challenges facing our communities. They both encourage collaboration and partnerships to drive consolidated effort from corporates and the broader citizenry. To this end then, there is therefore a clear intersection point between Mandela Day and B-BBEE in the context of transformation. However, it is worth noting that transformation is not a once-off event, it does take time and dedicated effort. This calls for contributions that go beyond charity, embracing sustainable initiatives that not only uplift communities and foster economic inclusion; but are also aligned with the business strategy and demonstrate clear ROI.

Implications for Corporates and Entities in South Africa

Corporates and entities operating in South Africa have a unique responsibility to contribute to the country's transformation agenda. Beyond token gestures on Mandela Day, entities can prioritize long-term strategies that empower communities, support local businesses, and promote equitable opportunities. By aligning their corporate social responsibility efforts with the broader transformation goals, corporates can drive meaningful change and ensure sustainability. This can be easily merged with B-BBEE, jointly working towards the same outcome.

A key challenge is that corporates are sometimes not aware of initiatives they can get involved with, and sometimes do not dedicate the time required to develop relationships with relevant stakeholders behind those initiatives.

Transcend’s Immersion Program has been set up to expose corporate entities to grassroots socio-economic initiatives run by NPOs in disadvantaged communities. This opens entities up to the realm of possibility on the right initiatives that move the transformation needle. Deriving Value from Mandela Day

To derive value from the day, a shift in mindset and approach is required by those who seek to contribute meaningfully towards what the day seeks to achieve. Instead of viewing it as a one-day tokenistic event, it should serve as a launchpad for ongoing engagement, collaboration, and sustainable development.

Building partnerships between NPOs, corporates, government entities, and communities can lead to more effective and impactful initiatives, yielding tangible impact towards transformation. Strategically choosing target programs / activities and brainstorming around areas where value can be added are key as entities plan towards the day. Equally important, evaluating the outcomes and long-term effects of projects undertaken on Mandela Day is essential to assess their contribution to transformation and sustainable livelihoods.

Transformation has been a key talking point within South Africa for several years. This, as a result of an apartheid legacy that actively and intentionally excluded the majority of the population from economic participation. Mandela Day presents an opportunity for individuals, organizations, and communities to come together, harness their collective agency, and continue to address the socio-economic challenges that persist in South Africa.

While it is crucial to appreciate and recognize the contrasting views and arguments surrounding the day and navigate the criticisms constructively, it is equally important to recognize that this was never meant to be viewed as a silver bullet for transformation in South Africa. By embracing Mandela's values and integrating them into sustained efforts for transformation and sustainable livelihoods, we are presented with a starting point to contribute positively towards our communities.

Mandela Day is, perhaps, an opportunity to open ourselves to a world other than our own. Once presented with this opportunity, perhaps we stand a chance to create a positive, long-lasting impact on South African society. Mandela Day is not a final destination but a steppingstone towards a more equitable and prosperous future. It is incumbent on all of us to make South Africa a better place, and sometimes all we need is an opportunity to do just that.