CITY OF CAPE TOWN JOINS GOOD HOPE FM AND COMMUNITY CHEST TO SAVE LIVES THIS WINTER – ONE BLANKET, ONE TIN OF FOOD AND ONE ACT OF KINDNESS AT A TIME

Good Hope FM, Cape Town’s Original, and Community Chest are set on saving the lives of those out in the bitter cold this coming winter with Keep Cape Town Warm, powered by the City of Cape Town, and is calling on all of the Mother City to stand together and donate blankets, non-perishable foods and cash to make a REAL difference.

Every winter, thousands of people across Cape Town face the bitter cold without the basic comfort of a blanket, a warm meal, or a safe place to sleep. For the very young, the elderly, and those already vulnerable, a single freezing night can be life‑threatening. Exposure remains one of the quietest killers of winter and in the Mother City, where temperatures drop sharply and storms roll in without warning, the danger is real.

For more than a decade, Good Hope FM’s Keep Cape Town Warm initiative has stood as a lifeline for families, shelters, and communities in need. In 2025 alone, Capetonians helped the station collect over 5 000 non‑perishable items, 1 400 blankets, and 47 big bags of second‑hand clothing, benefitting 41 NPOs across the city. This year, Good Hope FM and its partners are calling on the Mother City to go even further, because the need has never been greater.

From 22 April to 20 June, the station is urging schools, universities, companies, community groups, and individuals to rally together, challenge each other and extend a helping hand to someone in desperate need. A single blanket can quite literally mean the difference between surviving the night and not. A tin of food can keep a child from going to bed hungry. And helping doesn’t require grand gestures… it simply requires compassion in action.

It’s often as easy as skipping one takeaway coffee, one fast-food meal or one online impulse buy and buying a blanket or a tin of food instead. For the price of something small and forgettable, you can give someone warmth, dignity and hope.

Good Hope FM has made it as easy as possible for listeners to get involved.

Donations of blankets and non‑perishable foods can be dropped off at the SABC Studios in Sea Point, sponsor venues and the following live school broadcasts of the Roger Goode Breakfast:

• April 22 – Parow North Primary
• April 29 – Sea Point Primary
• May 6 – Pinelands North Primary
• May 13 – Sunlands Primary
• May 20 – York Road Primary
• May 27 – Milnerton Primary

Those who wish to donate cash can do so through pay points at these broadcasts or via dedicate donation platforms listed on Good Hope FM’s platforms. 

Priya Reddy, the Director of Communications at the City of Cape Town, says, “The City of Cape Town is proud to partner with Good Hope FM as part of this year’s Keep Cape Town Warm campaign, strengthening our shared commitment to supporting vulnerable communities during the colder months. Through this collaboration, we can significantly expand our reach, using trusted platforms to educate, mobilise and empower residents to take action. This partnership enables us to connect directly with communities across the metro, ensuring that critical winter readiness messaging – from flood prevention to humanitarian support – reaches those who need it most, while encouraging a spirit of collective care and responsibility.

Together, we aim to drive meaningful impact by combining the City’s on-the-ground service delivery efforts with Good Hope FM’s powerful audience reach, inspiring Capetonians to play their part in keeping communities safe, warm and resilient this winter.”

Masi Mdingane, Business Manager for Good Hope FM and 5FM, says:

“Good Hope FM has always been the soundtrack of the Mother City, but we are also its most powerful helping hand. Every winter, our listeners show us what Cape Town is truly made of: compassion, generosity and massive DO-GOOD spirit. This year, in proud partnership with Community Chest and now the City of Cape Town, we’re asking everyone to step up once again. If each of us gives just a little, together we can change the winter for thousands of people who could well have been our brother, sister, child, parent or friend, who would otherwise face the cold alone.”

Keep Cape Town Warm will conclude in the week of 20 June with a Good Hope FM live broadcast from Community Chest HQ, but donations will be distributed throughout, ensuring that all donations are distributed to the families, shelters and community organisations who need them most before the coldest weather hits Cape Town.

This winter, Good Hope FM is asking every listener, every school, every business, and every family, to make a plan, make a difference, and help Keep Cape Town Warm. One blanket. One tin. One act of kindness at a time.

Follow Keep Cape Town warm on Good Hope FM’s social media channels, download the Good Hope FM App, listen live across the Western Cape or visit goodhopefm.co.za for updates and more. You can also get all of Good Hope FM and the SABC’s best content on SABC PLUS.