Nelson Mandela Childrens Fund

Nelson Mandela Childrens Fund The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund (NMCF) is a charitable organization founded by Nelson Mandela

Driven by his love for children and a desire to end their suffering, former President Mandela established the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund (NMCF) in 1995. From 1996 to 1998, NMCF successfully mobilized over R36 million to fund over 780 projects, at an average of R40, 000 per project. Grounded in the legacy of its founder, NMCF initially operated as a grant-making organization promoting a humanit

arian response to the plight of South Africa 's children and youth. The 1995-1999 period was characterised by ad hoc funding strategies that enabled children and families to meet immediate needs, and one-time support for overhead and salary costs for organisations targeting children's issues, with no particular programmatic basis for NMCF's engagement with these organisations. During 1999, NMCF realised that this welfare or handout approach was not sustainable as it did not encourage community involvement nor did it address the array of growing organizational capacity issues. To inform a new approach, NMCF conducted an extensive review of national and regional policies on children and youth; identified several significant policy gaps; evaluated its portfolio of projects and internal procedures; and carefully defined programme intervention areas it would pursue. This review culminated in the launching, in the year 2000, of the Sakha Ikusasa strategy, reflecting a new programme and organizational approach for the period 2000-2005, and establishing NMCF as a funding cm development agency that seeks to change the ways in which society treats its children and youth in order to improve their conditions and lives.

21/08/2026

"We cannot successfully operate in a failed society. The two are inseparable."

Daniel Mminele, Chairperson of Nedbank Group, at the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund 30th Anniversary Gala.

Over the past two decades, more than R160 million has reached the Fund through the Nedbank Children's Affinity Programme, goodwill channelled by Nedbank clients into programmes that protect and uplift children across South Africa.

His message to the room was plain. Support for children is a responsibility, and it is good business. The prosperity of this country is tied to the wellbeing of its children, and institutions that understand their own long-term interests understand that too.

Thirty years of showing up. Thank you, Nedbank, for walking this road with us. The next chapter starts now.

The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund launched the Sustainable Livelihoods component of the Boikhuco OVC Project in Thaba N...
17/08/2026

The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund launched the Sustainable Livelihoods component of the Boikhuco OVC Project in Thaba Nchu, Free State - an area under Barolong traditional leadership, in the Motheo district of Mangaung.

Boikhuco has walked with this community since 2005. What began as a project of the Buikhuco Old Age Home in Botshabelo now reaches 351 orphaned and vulnerable children across seven villages.

The home-based carers who started this work found something that no food parcel could fix: child-headed households, children without birth certificates, children not receiving the grants that are legally theirs, children going days without a meal. The need was never only food. It was income.

That is what today is about. Through NMCF's Sustainable Livelihoods Project, Boikhuco is helping families generate their own income and grow their own food - so that a child's next meal does not depend on the next donation.

Alongside this, the project continues to help children access what they are entitled to: legal documents, social grants and a place in school.

17/08/2026

The author whose story the world is currently watching spent Friday with us.

As part of Women's Month, the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund hosted acclaimed author Sue Nyathi, whose novel The Polygamist has just been adapted into a Netflix series that reached No. 3 globally.

She did not come to give a speech. She came to have a conversation.

Sue sat with our staff and spoke openly about her work, the road that got her here, and what women's empowerment actually looks like once you strip away the slogans. Then she opened the floor, and our team asked the questions they really wanted answered.

The through-line of the morning: a woman's story is not decoration. It is evidence. And the same is true for the girls and young women this Fund exists to serve - their stories carry weight, and someone has to be willing to publish them, fund them and act on them.

Sue also left two of her books with the Fund, which now live in our office for the team to read.

Thank you, Sue, for your generosity and your candour. šŸ’›



šŸŽ„ Watch a moment from the conversation below.

At the BRAG Employability Summit 2026, the Nelson Mandela Childrenā€™s Fund reflected on 30 years of work building the fou...
17/08/2026

At the BRAG Employability Summit 2026, the Nelson Mandela Childrenā€™s Fund reflected on 30 years of work building the foundations young people need to thrive, from health and safety to education, leadership, skills development and livelihoods.

Representing NMCF, Neo Dube shared how our work has evolved from supporting children in crisis to building pathways that connect young people to opportunity.

Our message is simple: talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Creating meaningful pathways to employment means investing early, listening to young people and connecting them to the skills, networks and opportunities they need to shape their futures.

As we look to the next 30 years, NMCF is calling on employers, partners and funders to help build those pathways with young people, not simply for them.

As part of the Nelson Mandela Childrenā€™s Fund's advocacy objectives under the Khuluma Mntwana Sikuzwe (Speak, child. We ...
14/08/2026

As part of the Nelson Mandela Childrenā€™s Fund's advocacy objectives under the Khuluma Mntwana Sikuzwe (Speak, child. We are listening) strategy, Anzio Jacobs joined UNICEF and Kutunga in Durban for a discussion on the effects of digitalisation without infrastructure and what this means for children.

The discussion formed part of a broader conversation on a SADC Protocol on Children for Industrialisation, Agricultural Transformation and a Just Energy Transition, with a shared focus on ensuring that development frameworks consider children's rights, safety and protection.

The message is clear: as countries accelerate development and embrace new technologies, children must be considered in the policies, systems and infrastructure that shape their future.

šŸ“ Umhlanga, Durban

šŸŒ This International Youth Day, we recognise that young people across South Africa face different realities, but share m...
12/08/2026

šŸŒ This International Youth Day, we recognise that young people across South Africa face different realities, but share many of the same ambitions: to learn, build skills, find opportunities and have a say in the decisions that affect their lives.

This is central to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund's Youth Leadership Programme (YLP). The programme equips young people with leadership and advocacy skills and creates opportunities for them to engage on issues affecting their communities.

Whether the challenge is unemployment, inequality, limited opportunities or access to services, young people have an important role in shaping the solutions.

Through Mandelathon, we are inviting South Africans to invest in the next generation. Every gift to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund helps create opportunities for children and young people to learn, lead and thrive.

Support Mandelathon and help us continue changing the way society treats its children.

Gift today: https://www.nelsonmandelachildrensfund.com/donate-now/

āœŠšŸ¾ Today, we honour the courage and resilience of the women who shaped South Africa's history, including the more than 2...
09/08/2026

āœŠšŸ¾ Today, we honour the courage and resilience of the women who shaped South Africa's history, including the more than 20,000 women who marched to the Union Buildings in 1956 to stand against injustice and fight for equality. Seventy years later, their legacy continues to inspire action towards a more equal society.

At the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, we recognise that empowering women is central to building stronger communities and creating better futures for children. Through our programmes, we work alongside families and communities to support women's empowerment, strengthen livelihoods, protect children and create opportunities for young people to thrive.

As we commemorate Women's Day under the theme "Empowered Women Empower The Nation," we celebrate the women who lead, nurture and transform their communities every day.

Wathint' Abafazi, Wathint' Imbokodo.

Today, the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund handed over a Ford vehicle to Makobetsa Poultry Farm in Thaba Nchu, Free State...
07/08/2026

Today, the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund handed over a Ford vehicle to Makobetsa Poultry Farm in Thaba Nchu, Free State, one of the Fund's implementing partners under the Sustainable Livelihoods Programme.

Specially fitted with an egg transportation compartment, the vehicle will make it easier and more efficient to transport eggs to market, helping the farm strengthen its operations, grow its business and improve its long-term sustainability.

By investing in community enterprises like Makobetsa Poultry Farm, we are supporting livelihoods, creating economic opportunities and strengthening the wellbeing of children and families.

06/08/2026

For more than 30 years, the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund has been shaped by the passion, commitment and leadership of the people who have carried Madiba's vision forward. We're celebrating some of the voices that have helped shape the Fund's journey and reflect on the milestones, lessons and moments that continue to inspire our work today.

Thank you to Dr Sibongile Mkhabela, Vincent Kgomo and Shadi Nyokong for sharing your reflections on the Fund's commitment to changing the way society treats its children.

As we celebrate 30 years, we honour everyone who has contributed to this journey and look ahead to the impact still to come.

Today, through Ford Africa's facilitation, the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund met with Enactus to explore opportunities ...
04/08/2026

Today, through Ford Africa's facilitation, the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund met with Enactus to explore opportunities to strengthen entrepreneurship among children and young people.

The discussion focused on how we can work together to nurture an entrepreneurial mindset from an early age, equipping young people with the skills, confidence and opportunities they need to build brighter futures. This aligns closely with the Fund's commitment to addressing poverty through sustainable livelihoods and youth empowerment.

We're excited to build on today's conversation and explore a strategic partnership that creates meaningful, long-term impact for South Africa's children and youth.

Address

21 Eastwold Way, Cnr Oxford Road
Johannesburg
2196

Opening Hours

Monday 08:30 - 17:00
Tuesday 08:30 - 17:00
Wednesday 08:30 - 17:00
Thursday 08:30 - 17:00
Friday 08:30 - 17:00

Telephone

+27112745600

Website

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