67 Minutes, One Jar, a World of Difference
Every year on 18 July, South Africa pauses to honour the life of Nelson Mandela with a call that is as simple as it is profound: give 67 minutes of your time in service of someone else. One minute for every year Madiba gave to the struggle for justice, equality and human dignity. It is not a grand ask. But in the hands of people who show up with genuine intention, 67 minutes can feed a family, warm a home and remind someone that they are not forgotten.
At Pam Golding Properties, we believe that property has always been about more than bricks and mortar. It is about belonging. And belonging begins with community.
What is the Jars of Hope Initiative?
Jars of Hope is a grassroots Mandela Day movement that has grown into one of South Africa's most beloved acts of community service. Born during the lockdown years of 2020, the initiative began as a challenge to help feed families in need and it spread organically, embraced by schools, scout groups, retirement communities, corporates and neighbourhoods across the country.
The concept is beautifully uncomplicated. Each jar contains a cup of rice, a cup of soup mix, a cup of lentils, a stock cube and a packet of soup powder and one jar feeds four people. No donation portal. No committee meeting. Just a jar, a few pantry staples and the decision to care.
That quiet simplicity is precisely what makes it powerful.
Three Years of Showing Up
Each year on 18 July, millions of South Africans are called upon to spend 67 minutes working for the good of others. This year marks the third consecutive year that Pam Golding Properties has answered that call and with each passing year, that commitment deepens.
What began as a single act of service has grown into something our agents and staff genuinely look forward to: a moment to step away from the day-to-day, stand shoulder to shoulder and do something that matters beyond a listing or a sale. We cherish the human spirit and believe in the joy of giving. By supporting the Jars of Hope drive, our teams are reminded that the communities we serve extend far beyond our client base.
How to Make Your Own Jar of Hope
You do not need to wait for an event or an organisation to get started. Here is how to put one together at home:
What you need: A clean glass jar, yoghurt tub or resealable container with a lid
Fill it with:
- 1 cup of rice
- 1 cup of soup mix
- 1 cup of lentils or split peas
- 1 unwrapped stock cube
- 1 packet of soup powder
- A pinch of dried herbs or spice if you have them
Layer the ingredients, seal the jar firmly and attach a simple label with cooking instructions. Then add a handwritten note. This last step is optional in theory but in practice, it may be the most important thing in the jar.
Where to take it: Your nearest shelter, soup kitchen, church, mosque or community feeding scheme. If you are unsure where to start, drop your jar at any Pam Golding Properties office and our team will make sure it reaches the right hands.
Small Jars, Long Reach
Mandela Day asks us to believe that ordinary people, doing ordinary things with extraordinary intention, can shift the weight of the world, even just a little. A single jar feeds four people. A team filling jars for 67 minutes can feed hundreds. And three years of showing up, winter after winter, builds something that outlasts any single act: a culture of care.
That is what we are building at Pam Golding Properties. Jar by jar, community by community – and with every winter that passes, a little more hope in the world.
