For 10 years, Doorway to Dignity’s Pots of Hope has brought people together around food while creating meaningful moments of dignity and hope for vulnerable communities.
Johannesburg, South Africa (24 August 2026) – There are some South African traditions that seem almost designed to bring people together, and potjiekos is certainly one of them. There is something about gathering around a bubbling three-legged pot, sharing stories while the food cooks and eventually sitting down to enjoy the meal together that feels wonderfully communal.
For Doorway to Dignity, that simple tradition has become the foundation for something much bigger.
In 2026, Pots of Hope celebrates its 10th edition, marking a decade of bringing people together around food while creating meaningful moments of dignity, kindness and connection for people experiencing homelessness and vulnerability.
What began in 2016 as a potjiekos competition has grown into a much-loved annual event, traditionally held around World Homeless Day on 10 October. Over the years, the event has changed and adapted, but its central purpose has remained the same: to use food and community to remind people that they matter.
In its early years, Pots of Hope brought together eager potjiekos contestants who competed to create delicious, wholesome meals, before those meals became the centrepiece of a special pop-up restaurant.
The guests were people who were displaced, destitute or vulnerable, many of whom seldom had the opportunity to experience the simple pleasure of going out for a meal.
Rather than simply handing out food, Pots of Hope created an experience around it. Guests could sit down, choose their meal from a menu and be served by waiters, with refreshments and dessert completing the experience.
For a few hours, people who so often find themselves on the margins of society were invited to take their place at the table and be treated with the same warmth and care that any restaurant guest deserves.
That sense of dignity has remained at the heart of Pots of Hope throughout its 10-year journey.
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It was a powerful reminder of what can happen when a community comes together around a simple idea. Each pot represented the effort of a team, but collectively they became hundreds of meals and hundreds of opportunities to offer care and kindness.
Now, three years later, Pots of Hope is preparing to celebrate its biggest milestone yet.
Ten years of Pots of Hope
On Saturday, 10 October 2026, Doorway to Dignity will host the 10th Pots of Hope, and this year’s event carries an extra reason to celebrate: it also marks 10 years of Doorway to Dignity.
The organisation is calling on aspiring potjiekos chefs to enter the competition and help make this milestone event one to remember.
Teams will have their pots judged by a panel of professional chefs, with trophies and prizes going to the top three teams. Corporate teams can enter for R600, while non-corporate teams can enter for R300.
But while the competition brings a little friendly rivalry to the day, the real purpose of Pots of Hope is found beyond the judging table.
Around 80 homeless and vulnerable people will be treated to a restaurant-style meal, complete with servers, a set menu, potjie meals, dessert and cold drinks.
Participants and visitors will also have the opportunity to purchase plates of potjiekos from the selection of pots, with soft drinks available for those who want to come along and support the event. And, importantly, the generosity continues long after the last plate has been served.
Any remaining food will be packaged and frozen before being distributed to pre-selected beneficiaries, including children’s feeding schemes, old age homes and places of safety.
Ten years is a remarkable milestone for any community initiative, particularly one that has continued to evolve while remaining true to its original purpose.
Pots of Hope has never been simply about cooking a good potjie. The food is the starting point, but the real story is what happens around it: people giving their time, businesses and organisations contributing what they can, volunteers creating an experience for others, and communities coming together to support people who are often overlooked.
This year’s event is an invitation to be part of that story, whether you’re putting forward a potjiekos team, coming along to support the competitors or simply stopping by for a plate of good food.
If you would like to join, you can email Trevor here.
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