About Us – Santa Shoebox Project

The Santa Shoebox Project is the overarching name for two seperate but connected initiatives under our management:

The Santa Shoebox
Gift Drive

The Santa Shoebox Project originated in Cape Town in 2006 with a humble 180 shoeboxes. Since that time the number of Santa Shoeboxes donated has reached a total of 1 226 756. The shoeboxes are distributed to underprivileged children attending more than 1 000 educational and care facilities each year, via satellites throughout South Africa and Namibia.

Pledge a Santa Shoebox

The Santa Shoebox Legacy Projects

In 2020 we reached our milestone MILLIONTH shoebox and commenced with projects which create lasting socio-economic change in the communities in which our beneficiary children live. The SSP Legacy was established, focussing on three pillars within early childhood development – Build, Learn and Read.

Support Our Legacy Projects

The Santa Shoebox Project is an initiative of the Joy of Giving (JOG) Trust (IT2671/2009).

The JOG vision is to connect people through the central message of “The Joy of Giving” – not only the giving of material or financial resources but also of time, skill, knowledge, patience and love. Through acts of kindness, the JOG Trust creates access to educational resources for the children of South Africa and Namibia. It is a trusted implementation partner, leveraging support for educational resources.

Trustees do not earn salaries, and all sponsorship is used to sustain, promote and enhance the various projects run by the Trust.

You can view our CURRENT SPONSORS here.

The Trustees

Deborah Zelezniak – Executive Trustee | Michael Fuller – Finance | Matthew Walton – Legal Cecilia Gronwall – Projects | Samenthea Arendse – Governance
Deidre Vrede – Corporate Social Investment

Founding Trustees: Irené Pieters | Mandy Dix-Peek | Joanna Fuller | Deneal Boehner

The Trust is registered as a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO-930031301) and a Non Profit Organisation (NPO 102-098) and is 100% SED compliant, holding a current ICPR. As a Level One Contributor to B-BBEE, Santa Shoebox earns its supporters 135% procurement recognition. With its Section 18A status as a Public Benefit Organisation, the Project is able to provide a tax-deductible receipt in recognition of sponsorships and / or donations.