Mandela Day. A time when boardrooms empty and teams roll up their sleeves to ‘do good’. The sandwiches are packed. The murals are painted. The cameras are rolling.
While corporate social initiatives are often well-intentioned, the line between purpose and performance can blur, especially when PR is involved.
As a communications consultant and someone passionate about telling stories with empathy, I believe it’s time we rethink the way brands approach Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) particularly during Mandela Day.
This isn’t about avoiding the camera. It’s about asking: Are we doing this with dignity & care?
Here’s how to make sure our CSI PR this Mandela Day is thoughtful, impactful and honest.
Snap less. See more
Social media loves a feel-good story. But good intentions can easily become exploitative visuals if we aren’t careful.
Oxfam and UNICEF both emphasise “dignity-first storytelling” and this simply means: don’t film or photograph anyone without informed consent. Let beneficiaries lead how they are seen, if at all.
Focus on respectful documentation: wide-angle shots, anonymised visuals, close-up shots without revealing identity or even symbolic content that honours the moment without reducing people to a “before-and-after” image.
Ask yourself: If this were me or my child, would I be okay with this image going public?
Collaborate, don’t colonise
Photo: Micaela Pretorius
Too many CSI activations are designed for communities instead of with them.
Including the people of the community in your initiatives is a great start for ideation and execution as this leads to more sustainable and relevant solutions, these programmes succeed more often when beneficiaries are treated as collaborators and not just mere recipients.
That mural you planned? It’s lovely, but did the school ask for one? Maybe they needed textbooks, working toilets, or a classroom assistant.
Authenticity begins with listening. Not every community needs what we’re offering — and that’s okay. Ask first, act second.
Go beyond 67 minutes
Mandela Day shouldn’t be a box-ticking exercise for our annual reports. A one-day event is symbolic, but the real impact comes from consistent commitment.
Can your Mandela Day initiative spark an ongoing project? Could your company “adopt” a school or NGO? Turn a sanitary pad drive into a quarterly effort? Run a skills-transfer programme beyond July?
Good PR thrives on progress. Don’t just show up, do stick around. The long-term partnerships yield better social outcomes.
Make your media moments meaningful
Don’t just say you did something. Explain why it matters. Audiences are more responsive to authenticity than polished platitudes.
Instead of listing donations or attendees, focus your PR on community needs, systemic issues, and the voices of those impacted. Tell their stories and ambitions. Meaningful CSR PR elevates the cause and its beneficiaries, not just the company.
Include local leaders in your storytelling. Be transparent about goals and challenges. Let the message be mission-driven, not media-obsessed.
Measure dignity and not just deliverables
Yes, we want to see the numbers: reach, engagement, brand alignment. But those don’t always tell the full story. Sometimes we can not quantitatively measure impact.
Brands should try to focus on outcomes and not just outputs. When we put the cameras down, we need to ask ourselves, Did our CSI effort restore dignity? Did it make people feel seen? Did it lead to a real opportunity?
True impact doesn’t always trend or goes viral. But it transforms, and that’s usually the kind of story worth telling.
Mandela Day is about legacy, not likes. Impact, not impressions.
If your cameras come out on Mandela Day, that’s okay. Just be sure you’re leaving behind more than just content for the annual report. Leave behind respect. Real relationships. A foundation for lasting change.
Siki Msuseni is the founder and director of Amplified PR, a boutique PR agency dedicated to building favourable reputations and communities for brands through storytelling with heart and strategy. She partners with brands to tell more meaningful and human-led stories through relevant media and public platforms.
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Website: https://amplifiedpr.co.za/
