While the world’s top surfers take on Supertubes in the J-Bay Open, something equally powerful is stirring on land this Mandela Day: a mass gathering around shared tables, cooked with love and served with dignity.
More than 1,500 residents of Jeffreys Bay and Pellsrus will come together at Pellsrus Primary School for the first-ever J-Bay Community Lunch, where a hot meal carries the weight of a much bigger dream: to feed 200 people every week for a year.
Organised during the WSL J Bay Open by The House of Mandela, the Faulkner Family Trust, and a growing coalition of local churches, artists, surf leaders, and residents, the lunch is a call to action, and a grassroots tribute to Madiba’s spirit of Ubuntu: “I am because we are.” Rooted in the philosophy of umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu — a person is a person through other people, this gathering reminds us that true strength lies in community. It’s a celebration of shared dignity, mutual care, and the powerful truth that no one thrives alone.
Pic Caption 2 – from left to right: Hardy McQueen, Guest Chef: J-Bay Community Lunch; Kweku Mandela-Amuah, Executive Director: Mandela House
“Food grown, cooked, and shared by communities builds lasting bonds more than anything else,” says Kweku Mandela-Amuah, Event Director and grandson of Nelson Mandela. “Here, we honour the mothers’ recipes, the farmers’ soil, and the shared responsibility to care for one another, as we always have.”
At the heart of the experience is homegrown flavour and soul: local gogos will cook alongside guest chef Hardy McQueen; schoolchildren will perform and share stories; and artists like YoungstaCPT, DJ Doowap, and Don Delicious will bring music that resonates across generations.
In a town world-renowned for its waves, this event turns the tide, shining a light on the true heartbeat of Jeffreys Bay: the mothers, surfers, teachers, builders, and dreamers who breathe life into this coastline. The lunch is just the start. In a province where one in four households face food insecurity, plans are already in motion to transform this moment into a sustainable feeding programme (at just R5 a meal) powered by local kitchens, rotating chefs, and a growing volunteer network — all fueled by the values of Ubuntu.
“When we break bread together, we break barriers too. This is not charity, it’s reciprocal care,” says professional surfer and organiser Joshe Faulkner.
In J-Bay, it’s not just the waves that unite – it’s the land, the people, and the spirit of sharing that keep hope alive.
