As South Africa prepares for another cold winter, Moti Cares has launched its 2026 Winter Drive, a national winter relief campaign that will see 20,000 blankets, together with loaves of bread, distributed to vulnerable communities, families, shelters, care centres and grassroots organisations across the country.
The campaign comes as cold fronts and freezing temperatures place added pressure on families, shelters, elderly residents and people living in informal or poorly insulated homes.
This year, Moti Cares is not only handing out blankets. The campaign is also calling on South Africans, particularly young people during Youth Month, to help identify communities and organisations that urgently need support.
The first handovers will take place in Soweto on 13 June and Lenasia on 14 June, where blankets and bread will be distributed to vulnerable families and community members. From there, Moti Cares will continue rolling out blanket handovers every weekend until the end of winter, reaching various communities in need.
Members of the public are invited to nominate a community, charity, family or organisation in need of winter support by commenting on any of Zunaid Moti’s official social media platforms. After commenting, they should send a direct message with their contact details and more information about the nomination. The Moti Cares team will then follow up, verify the details and obtain the information needed to assist where possible.
Members of the public will also be encouraged to assist with local blanket collections, handovers and distribution where possible.
The aim is to turn the 2026 Winter Blanket Drive into a broader movement that encourages ordinary South Africans to take action in their own communities.
“Every winter, we are reminded that a blanket is not a luxury for thousands of South Africans. It is protection, comfort and dignity,” says Zunaid Moti, founder of Moti Cares. “This year, we want to do more than hand out blankets. We want to involve the public, especially the youth, because young people are powerful drivers of compassion, awareness and action.”
The campaign builds on the success of Moti Cares’ previous winter drives, which have reached more than 60,000 people through donations to under-resourced communities, religious organisations, shelters, charities and care facilities.
“There are people on the ground who know exactly where help is needed. They know which elderly residents are alone, which children are cold at night, which shelters are overwhelmed and which families are quietly struggling,” says Moti. “By opening nominations to the public, we are giving local voices a platform and helping them bring support directly to the people who need it most.”
The launch also comes at a time when many South Africans are under severe financial pressure. Rising living costs have made winter even harder for families already struggling to afford basic necessities. For children, the elderly, the homeless and people living in poorly insulated homes, colder weather brings additional hardship and risk.
Moti says the 2026 Winter Drive is designed to respond to this immediate need by providing a small amount of relief to vulnerable families, while encouraging a culture of active citizenship and care.
“This is not only a Moti Cares campaign. It is a call to South Africans to look around, identify need and do something about it,” Moti adds. “If we can inspire even one young person to become more aware of the hardship around them, and to act with kindness, then this campaign has achieved something far greater than the distribution of blankets.”
