Palesa Mokomele from DKMS Africa shares insights on how to make a difference for the remaining 364 days of the year, not just Mandela Day.
South Africa (02 July 2025) – As Mandela Day approaches, corporate South Africa prepares for the annual routine: 67 minutes of service, feel-good social media posts, and the collective sense that business is contributing to social change. “But what happens on 19 July?” asks Palesa Mokomele, Head of Community Engagement and Communications at DKMS Africa.
She continues, “Mandela Day stirs hearts and headlines, but complex social challenges won’t be solved in 67 minutes. What’s needed is consistent, year-round engagement that addresses root causes. Fortunately, Corporate South Africa is already evolving.”
The Evolution of Corporate Impact
South African companies invested R12.7 billion in social initiatives last year, with just 100 companies accounting for 76% of that spending. The landscape is, however, shifting from one-off donations toward deeper partnerships.
Mokomele explains that companies are leveraging their full resources, not just funding, but expertise, infrastructure, and influence, to address root causes rather than symptoms.
“This creates opportunities to tackle complex challenges.”
“Consider the health sector, which has emerged as the second-highest area of corporate investment, with 36% of companies supporting health initiatives in 2024,” she points out. “Yet, some of the most critical health disparities remain largely invisible to corporate decision-makers.”
The Numbers That Demand Action
In South Africa, your race determines whether you’ll survive blood cancer or a life-threatening blood disorder. White patients have a 75% chance of finding a stem cell match for a potentially life-saving transplant. For Black, Coloured, Indian, and Asian patients, those odds plummet to just 19%.
“This isn’t a medical issue,” notes Mokomele. “It’s a numbers and equity problem. Stem cell transplants are most successful when patients and donors share similar genetic markers, which are typically found within the same ethnic group, but South Africa’s donor registries don’t reflect the country’s demographics.”
While the DKMS Africa registry has grown more diverse with 38% Black, 45% White, 9% Coloured, and 8% Asian donors, many potential donors don’t know where to sign up or how it works.
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“These are exactly the problems corporate infrastructure can solve,” stresses Mokomele.
Beyond the 67 Minutes
Mandela Day’s 67 minutes of service capture public imagination, but Mokomele believes the real opportunity lies in the other 525,533 minutes of the year.
“Corporate South Africa has the infrastructure, reach, and resources to tackle health disparities like the stem cell shortage. What’s missing is sustained commitment.”
She highlights that the donor gap won’t be solved by single-day events.
“It requires companies to ask harder questions: How can our employee base become part of the solution? How can our business operations contribute to long-term change?”
“For patients still searching for a match, next year’s Mandela Day may come too late. The infrastructure exists. The willing partners are available. What’s needed now is the recognition that some problems require more than 67 minutes to solve,” concludes Mokomele.
So, what will your company do on 19 July and the 364 days after?
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