18 July 2025: On a day symbolising service and sacrifice across South Africa, the Moti Cares Foundation honoured Mandela Day by donating 3500 blankets and 1000 loaves of bread for patients, and sweet packs for paediatric patients at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto – the largest hospital in Africa.
With a bed capacity of over 3300, the hospital faces an ongoing shortage of essential resources, including blankets for admitted patients. In response, Moti Cares stepped in with a donation that will ensure every patient across every ward receives warmth and comfort this winter, with joy and excitement Dr Nthabiseng Makgana, CEO of Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, expressed her sincere gratitude for this donation that helped bring warmth and hope to their patients.
The handover marks one of the most significant moments in the Foundation’s 2025 Winter Blanket Drive, which aims to distribute 20 000 blankets across South Africa during the coldest months of the year. With this event, Moti Cares has now successfully brought the total number of blankets handed out since the beginning of June to 18 000, with just a few weeks left in the campaign.
Mandela Day, celebrated annually on 18 July in honour of the late President Nelson Mandela’s birthday, calls on South Africans to dedicate 67 minutes of their time to doing something for the greater good in commemoration of the 67 years Mandela spent in public service. It is a day of unity, compassion, and action.
Led by Zunaid Moti – investor, philanthropist, and founder of the Moti Cares Foundation – the handover at Baragwanath hospital stood out not just for its scale, but for its special meaning, paying a fitting tribute to Mandela’s legacy.
For Moti, Mandela Day is not a date to be observed passively, but a call to action. Each year, he marks the day with a meaningful act of service for others. In 2024, he gave R6700 to ten individuals, and a further R46 664 to a single recipient – a nod to Mandela’s prison number, 466/64. This year, his focus turned to those spending Mandela Day in hospitals with limited resources, many of them lying in cold beds without the basic comfort of warmth.
“There’s something profoundly vulnerable about being in a hospital,” said Moti. “When you’re ill, all you want is to feel safe and warm. A blanket may seem small, but in that moment, it brings comfort, and it brings dignity. It reminds people that in their time of need, and when they’re feeling particularly weak, they’re not alone.”
The donation was warmly received by hospital management and staff. A spokesperson for Baragwanath Hospital shared: “This act of generosity will have a lasting impact. Many of our patients come from very difficult circumstances and arrive here with very little for medical treatment, and this contribution from Moti Cares has ensured that they will be much more comfortable. On behalf of every patient who will sleep warmer tonight, we extend our heartfelt thanks.”
Moti Cares, a philanthropic initiative established by Moti, is committed to creating lasting, real-world impact through humanitarian efforts. While the Foundation supports various causes throughout the year, including health, education, and crisis response, the annual Winter Blanket Drive has become its most direct and widely recognised intervention.
As the campaign nears its conclusion, weekly activations are continuing to reach new communities, ensuring no one is left behind. The final 2,000 blankets will be distributed in the coming weeks, closing off another season of compassion, care, and shared humanity.
