More Than A Shelter: Why HOT1027 Chose Frida Hartley For Mandela Day 2026

This Mandela Day, HOT1027 and HOT Cares will be dedicating our efforts to one of Johannesburg’s most remarkable organisations — a place that has been quietly changing lives for more than a century.

The Frida Hartley Shelter in Yeoville was founded in 1922 by British socialite Frida Hartley, who left behind a life of privilege in London to establish a safe haven for vulnerable women in Johannesburg.

More than 100 years later, her legacy continues.

Today, the shelter supports women and children affected by homelessness, poverty, gender-based violence and intimate partner abuse, providing not only accommodation, but the support needed to rebuild lives and regain independence.

What makes Frida Hartley truly unique is that it is one of the few places of safety that allows mothers to remain with their children while working towards a brighter future.

Imagine having to choose between your own safety and staying with your child.

For many women, that is a heartbreaking reality.

Frida Hartley ensures they don’t have to make that choice.

Residents receive counselling, childcare support, access to healthcare, skills development, workplace training and assistance finding employment and permanent accommodation. The shelter also supports the wider community through food programmes, educational support and outreach initiatives.

The work is needed now more than ever. South Africa’s most recent census counted more than 55,000 homeless people, with more than 44,000 living without shelter of any kind.

Ahead of Mandela Day, HOT 1027 will be rolling up our sleeves to support an organisation that has spent generations helping women and children start again.

Because we’re not simply improving a building. We’re helping to strengthen a place that helps women transform their lives.

And for more than 100 years, that’s exactly what Frida Hartley has been doing.

Click below to see photos and video clips from our amazing day at Frida Hartley Shelter

As the day began drawing to a close, the scale of what had been achieved became clear.

Together with our partners, donors and listeners, HOT1027 and HOT Cares had contributed more than R265,000 towards strengthening the Frida Hartley Women’s Shelter and the work it does every day for vulnerable women and their children.

The baby daycare was transformed with new carpet tiles donated by Ghorbany, together with new cots and mattresses, sensory activity panels, baby gyms, Bumbo seats and creative play spaces designed to help young minds learn and grow. A new Smart TV donated by The Digital Experience completed the space, creating an environment where children can thrive while their mothers focus on rebuilding their futures.

Following a recent break-in at the shelter, five replacement laptops donated by Pinnacle restored an important part of the shelter’s skills development programme, allowing residents to once again prepare CVs, apply for jobs and develop digital skills.

HOT Cares listeners funded the replacement of the shelter’s gas geyser, four 48kg gas cylinders and two new gas stoves, while Whitelaw Plumbing generously donated the installation of the entire system, restoring reliable access to hot water and cooking facilities.

Energy resilience was strengthened through three Mecer inverters donated by Bundu Power, valued at approximately R30,000, while HOT Cares listeners committed a further R103,672 towards solar panels, installation and additional infrastructure needed to complete the upgrade.

Every mother and child at the shelter received warm winter pyjamas, towels and fresh bedding, while reusable sanitary products donated by The Document Warehouse helped restore dignity and independence. First aid kits donated by Burnshield strengthened safety, while groceries and a new chest freezer improved food security for both residents and the wider community.

And the generosity didn’t stop there.

Moved by the stories emerging from the shelter throughout the day, listeners and businesses continued reaching out with additional offers of support.

Among them was Eva Gas, which pledged to donate a 9kg gas cylinder for the shelter’s kitchen, a 48kg cylinder for the geyser and refill both cylinders twice a month on an ongoing basis to help reduce the shelter’s operating costs.

Then came the day’s final surprise.

During his closing address, HOT1027 founder and managing director Lloyd Madurai announced that HOT Cares listeners would also fund the drilling and installation of a borehole for the shelter at a cost of R75,000.

That single announcement lifted the total value of the Mandela Day project to approximately R340,000.

More importantly, it ensured that long after Mandela Day had passed, the women, children and wider community who rely on Frida Hartley would continue benefiting from the generosity of the HOT1027 family.

Because sometimes the greatest gift isn’t something you give for a day.

It’s something that changes every day that follows.