South Africans have already made their mark at the polls but there’s another vote worth casting! 5 incredible heritage stories are bringing the country together and helping feed thousands of children.
South Africa (05 November 2026) – South Africa, we really are something special. We have 12 official languages, countless cultures, different beliefs, beautiful traditions and a whole lot of opinions. And while we don’t always agree on everything, there is one thing that continues to bring us together… our ability to be kind and care for one another.
This week, millions of South Africans headed to the polls to make their mark, but another kind of vote is happening right now, and this one is all about celebrating the things that make us proudly South African.
It all started on Heritage Day when local breakfast brand Nutrific asked South Africans one question: “What makes you YOU?”
The brand invited people to share their heritage and the things that make them proud of where they come from. But there was a twist. Nobody was entering to win something for themselves. Instead, participants were asked to nominate an Educare centre that could receive breakfasts for children who need them.
And South Africans showed up! More than 300 comments and interactions poured in, and 140 deeply personal stories were shared celebrating ancestry, language, faith, food, family traditions and Ubuntu. Five stories were eventually selected, and while each celebrates a different part of our beautiful country, together they tell one much bigger story about who we are.
Mpho Prince Sephaphathi, a proud Motswana woman from Bojanala, shared how she has taken local girls under her wing, using her own money to make traditional clothing and teaching them Setswana dancing, singing and Botho. These are children who previously had nowhere to go after school, and Mpho has given them a place to belong, while passing on the lessons her late mother taught her about caring for every child in the village.
That same love for the next generation runs through Qadira Hendricks‘ story. As a proudly South African Muslim mother, her heritage lives in the sound of the Athaan, the prayers she teaches her little boy, the joy of Eid mornings and the family gatherings where nobody leaves without eating. For Qadira, heritage is about carrying the best parts of our upbringing into the future, while recognising that kindness and family connect us across cultures.
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Tiny Caps, Big Celebrations! NICU Babies Graduate Before Going Home!Over in Bushbuckridge, Fhatu Lubisi celebrates her Tsonga roots through the food she grew up eating, the sounds of Xibelani dancing and the wisdom passed down by her grandmother. She speaks of Vumunhu, the Xitsonga expression of Ubuntu, and the importance of love, respect and community. Although she now divides her time between Katlehong and Bushbuckridge while working towards a better future, the traditions of her childhood remain part of everything she does.
And Primrose Nombali’s wonderfully mixed South African heritage sounds like so many of our homes. A kettle whistling in the morning, South African jazz playing on the radio, three languages squeezed into one sentence and a family table where there is always room for another person. Her Gogo taught her that Ubuntu is about recognising our humanity in one another, and she wants to pass that same generosity on to the children at Honey Beez Day Care Center.
Mphoza Wa Mokgatle, a proud Venda man from Makhado, brings those same values to life through memories of his Gogo preparing traditional meals, his father’s Tshivenda stories around the fire and his mother’s belief in sharing whatever you have, even when it is your last piece of bread. His heritage is found in the everyday moments that shape a family, and his hope is that children in his community can grow up knowing the same love and pride.
Five people and five different stories but the message running through every single one is remarkably similar: We are who we are because of the people who came before us, the people standing beside us and the children who will come after us.
Nutrific was so moved by the entries that it increased its original commitment of 2,000 breakfasts to 5,000, ensuring that an Educare nominated by each of the five winners would receive 1,000 breakfasts.
But the good news doesn’t end there.
The five stories are now open for a public vote, and the story receiving the most votes will secure another 1,000 breakfasts for its nominated Educare. One person who votes will also be selected at random and given the opportunity to nominate another Educare to receive 1,000 breakfasts.
That means this beautiful celebration of South African heritage could ultimately provide 7,000 breakfasts for children! What’s more, Nutrific has promised us that if we get 10,000 votes, they’ll increase their 7,000-breakfast donation to 10,000!!!
South Africa, you’ve already voted for your country. Now you have another opportunity to make your voice count, this time by celebrating the stories that remind us why our country is so special.
Read all five stories and cast your vote here. Voting closes at 23:59 on Tuesday, 10 November 2026.
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