BUSINESS NEWS - This is the reality for millions of South African children – until 76,565 of them opened Santa Shoeboxes this year and discovered that strangers cared enough to choose gifts specifically for them.
This year’s total marks an increase of more than 1,800 children compared to 2024, bringing the Santa Shoebox Project’s 19-year impact to 1,378,073 children.
While the number of boxes delivered is significant, the true measure of success lies in the individual stories emerging from beneficiary facilities across the country.
Essential needs meet pure joy
“Most of the children were excited about the toothpaste and toothbrush, and then the ‘Christmas clothes’,” explains Laurence Ngomezulu from Umusa Uyasilandela Crèche in rural KwaZulu-Natal. In a community where employment is scarce, he recalls one boy from a destitute family dropping everything and beaming at the sight of a brand-new green striped outfit – his first-ever new clothes.
In Bonnievale in the Western Cape, Rosie Baardjies of Promised Land Early Childhood Development Centre witnessed a similar mix of excitement and relief. “The little girls were excited about hair accessories and the boys about the toy cars, but for the parents, the gratitude was different. One mother was especially grateful for the tekkies – her three-year-old didn’t have any shoes at all.”
The power of ownership
Beyond the physical items, the shoeboxes offer something intangible: dignity. For children accustomed to sharing everything or relying on second-hand items, the personalised nature of a Santa Shoebox provides a rare sense of ownership.
Nkateko Emily Mabasa from Phoenix Alexandra was deeply moved by the children’s reactions to seeing their own names on the boxes. “One boy came to me afterwards and said, ‘I appreciate that the box had my name on it and it was all mine. I didn’t have to share.’”
She adds that the inclusion of stationery is changing children’s outlook for the coming school year. “They are saying, ‘Now I’ve got my own stationery for next year, and I’m not going to have to ask anyone to borrow.’”
A lifeline for parents
For parents facing the economic pressure of “Janu-worry”, these gifts provide a crucial safety net. Primrose, a mother whose child is a beneficiary, describes the impact on her family: “The box helped me a lot, especially the school stationery. With high festive season costs, January finances are always a challenge. It was a relief to know that someone else cared enough to give my child a reason to smile.”
A legacy beyond the box
The shoeboxes are just the beginning. The Santa Shoebox Project Legacy initiative – funded through Virtual Santa Shoebox sales and corporate donations – has to date built seven pre-schools, trained 2,175 teachers, and installed 223 reading corners, impacting more than 182,000 children through education and opportunity.
At Umusa Uyasilandela, which was recently renovated through the Legacy programme, this long-term investment has transformed the community’s perception of education. “Parents who kept their children at home are now bringing them to the crèche because of its beauty,” Ngomezulu reflects. “We’ve seen significant long-term change with new enrolments. Future leaders are going to be raised here.”
Looking ahead, the Santa Shoebox Project’s vision for 2026 is to reach 80,000 children, ensuring that thousands more experience the magic of being ‘seen’, while simultaneously building the classrooms and facilities that will secure their futures.
Photo: Santa Shoebox Project
About the Santa Shoebox Project
Traditional Santa Shoebox
Over the last 19 years, 1,378,073 Santa Shoeboxes, each containing eight specified items of treats and essentials, have been given to underprivileged and socially vulnerable children throughout South Africa and Namibia. From 1 September each year, donors choose a beneficiary child by name, age and gender, and are given the child’s clothing size. Each personalised shoebox reaches the very child for whom it was pledged.
Virtual Santa Shoebox (VSS)
Virtual Santa Shoeboxes are purchased online and are available year-round, meeting the needs of donors who live far from drop-off points, are time-constrained, or have health limitations. Components are chosen online, packed by the Santa Shoebox team, and delivered to children attending remote rural facilities. A VSS contains the eight specified items, as well as additional items such as a lunchbox and books, and costs R500, with an optional delivery fee of R30.
SSP Legacy
All Santa Shoebox Project operating costs are covered by corporate sponsors. Privately donated funds and surplus funds from Virtual Santa Shoebox sales accrue to SSP Legacy and are used to bring permanent change to the lives of beneficiary children and the impoverished communities in which they live. To date, SSP Legacy initiatives have reached more than 182,000 children.
Fiduciary information
The Santa Shoebox Project is a Level One B-BBEE Contributor, earning 100 points on the generic scorecard. With Section 18A status, it is able to provide tax-deductible receipts for donations. The Project is an initiative of the JOG Trust (IT2671/2009), registered as a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO 930031301), a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO 102-098), and holds a current ICPR in support of 100% SED compliance.
Social media
TikTok: @santa.shoebox
Facebook: /SantaShoebox
X: @SantaShoebox
Instagram: /santashoebox
YouTube: The Santa Shoebox Project
Pinterest: /santashoebox
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