Organised by the Development and Alumni Relations Division (DAR), SU’s annual Giving Day brings together students, faculties, staff, alumni, and the wider community in a collective effort to raise funds for bursaries, student meals and student community initiatives. Literally, what a student needs to operate and negotiate a day at campus successfully.

This year’s Giving Day took place on 5 and 6 October 2023 on the Rooiplein. Activities included a cycle spin-a-thon, Zumba classes, a movie marathon in the Neelsie, music and mini sporting activities such as athletics, cricket, soccer, rugby, golf, hockey, netball and rowing.

Viwe Benxa, Bridge the Gap co-ordinator at DAR, said the 2023 Giving Day was a huge success.

"We had over 90 donors who donated via our Giving Day online platform and more than 180 of our SU community (students, staff and alumni, etc.) who participated in the movie marathon and the other activities." 

He added: "The target we set for Giving Day was R5 million, and we have not reached that yet. But it is not too late. We are calling on SU students and staff to continue donating through our ongoing Faculty Trolley Challenge which will run until 31 October. Alumni and friends of the University can also still make a contribution via our online platform."

The university-wide Faculty Trolley Challenge, also part of Giving Day activities, aims to collect non-perishable food, sanitary products, toiletries and funds for students in need.

"We are hoping more people are able to give back to our students during the month of October," said Benxa. "Every small donation counts. From as little as R100 you can ensure that a student can at least have three meals a day to enjoy. Let’s transform the lives of students together."

The Giving Day fundraising initiative forms part of the university’s Bridge the Gap (BTG) Annual Fund that aims to remove the obstacles that prevent Maties from obtaining their degrees. There are several other initiatives under the umbrella of BTG. These include #GradMe which helps students with unpaid fees to graduate; Caught in the Middle which helps students who do not qualify for free higher education bursaries from government; and #MatiesHaveDrive that works with firms to provide part-funded driver training for students who require a driving licence to get a job.