LIMPOPO – The Santa Shoebox Project has officially opened its annual pledge season, calling on South Africans to help bring joy to more than 80 000 children in need as the organisation celebrates its 20th anniversary.

This year, 84 663 children across the country are waiting to be chosen for a personalised Santa Shoebox. The project, which began in 2006, has reached more than 1.5 million children over the past two decades.

The Hoedspruit community has a long-standing connection with the initiative, with this year’s local campaign being coordinated by Rotary Hoedspruit.

20 years of giving

Santa Shoebox Project CEO Deb Zelezniak said the project’s 20-year journey was a story of collective giving.

“The Santa Shoebox Project is one big, beautiful story, made up of more than a million and a half beautiful chapters of giving and receiving joy since 2006,” she said.

The project’s campaign theme, #WhatAPledgeStarts, highlights the personal experience created by each donation. Donors select a specific child by name, age and gender before preparing a shoebox containing eight essential items.

These include toiletries, new clothing, educational supplies, a toy, and sweets. Each box is personalised for the child receiving it, with donors also able to include a message.

More than just a shoebox

According to Zelezniak, the significance of a pledge goes beyond the items inside the box.

“When someone chooses a child by name, age, and gender, they aren’t just shopping for supplies.

“They are creating an experience where a child in their community, whom they’ve never met, feels important and loved,” she said.

A Hoedspruit tradition

For Corné Havenga, the former Hoedspruit Santa Shoebox coordinator, the project has become a family tradition. Havenga coordinated the project in Hoedspruit for more than 10 years and continues to participate by preparing boxes with her daughters.

“Santa Shoebox is a truly magical project that has captured my heart and become a cherished tradition in my family,” she said.

She recalled the joy of seeing children receive their gifts, describing it as particularly meaningful when a child receives their first, or possibly only, present of the year.

“Now, every year, my daughters and I fill shoeboxes for our local drop-off, carrying on this beautiful tradition,” Havenga said.

How to get involved

The project hopes to secure enough pledges to reach every child on its 2026 beneficiary list, including children in Limpopo.

Traditional Santa Shoebox pledges opened on September 1, while Virtual Santa Shoeboxes can be purchased throughout the year.

Residents wishing to participate in this year’s campaign can pledge a shoebox through the Santa Shoebox Project website or join community packing initiatives organised in Hoedspruit by Rotary.

Go to www.santashoebox.org.za to pledge your contribution.