Urgent call as Potchefstroom list lags behind national pledges
Potchefstroom community groups and residents have been asked to step forward after the Santa Shoebox Project reported that only 24% of children on the Potchefstroom list have been pledged for this year’s distribution. The national charity, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026, says 84 663 children across South Africa are on the list to receive a personalised shoebox.
Nationwide the project says it has passed the 50% pledging mark, but the figure in Potchefstroom remains well below that level. Organisers warned the shortfall means many named children in the local area could miss out on receiving a box this Christmas unless more donors come forward.
What a pledged shoebox means locally
Each Santa Shoebox is packed for a specific child and must contain eight essential items, including toiletries, school supplies, clothing, a toy and sweets. The project’s organisers say the personalised nature of the giving — a box chosen for a child by name, age and gender — transforms a gift into a message that someone cared.
“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,”
said Deb Zelezniak, CEO of the Santa Shoebox Project, in a national statement.
How Potchefstroom can respond
Local residents, schools, churches, businesses and community organisations can help close the gap by pledging boxes for named children on the Potchefstroom list or by volunteering at drop-off points. The national project reports 70 drop-off locations around the country where packed boxes can be handed in.
- Check the Santa Shoebox Project’s local list to choose a child by name, age and gender.
- Pack a personalised shoebox with the required eight items (toiletries, educational supplies, clothing, a toy, sweets, and other essentials).
- Drop off your box at a registered collection point before the campaign deadline.
Scale of the campaign and local consequences
Since 2006 the project says it has reached more than 1.5 million children nationally. That history and the personalised approach are central to the appeal to Potchefstroom donors: organisers emphasise that pledging a box is not an anonymous donation but a promise to a named child.
| Metric | National | Potchefstroom |
|---|---|---|
| Children on list | 84 663 | Not specified (included in national total) |
| Pledging progress | 50%+ | 24% |
| Drop-off points | 70 across South Africa | Local points available |
The shortfall in Potchefstroom has practical consequences. Children who are not chosen by a donor could miss a personalised gift that organisers argue does more than give a present: it signals to a child that they were thought of and chosen. That can be especially significant in households grappling with poverty and social stress.
Local civil society and faith-based groups that have partnered with the project in previous years are being encouraged to renew their involvement and to spread the campaign in workplaces and schools. The project’s campaign hashtag, #WhatAPledgeStarts, is being used to emphasise the ripple effect of a single pledged box.
Organisers have not published an exact deadline for Potchefstroom collections in the materials provided, but they stress that donors should act promptly to ensure boxes are processed in time for distribution.
Residents who want to help should contact the Santa Shoebox Project directly to view the Potchefstroom list, find the nearest drop-off point and receive packing guidelines. Local community leaders are also appealing to businesses to consider corporate pledges or to host workplace packing drives to boost the town’s percentage.
The appeal is straightforward: with three in four children still waiting locally, Potchefstroom’s volunteers and donors can make the difference between a child receiving a named gift this Christmas or being left off the list.
