With over R200 million raised for charitable causes in South Africa, donations-based crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy, celebrates the 250 000 donors who have uplifted those in need.
Re-launched in 2015, BackaBuddy has welcomed over 16 600 individual online fundraising campaigns for medical expenses, tuition fees, sporting tours, community projects and good deeds across the country.
Over 3 200 charities are also active users of the platform, raising funds for various needs within their organisation through their own projects, and have collectively invited over 21 400 individuals to pledge their birthdays or participate in events to raise funds on their behalf.
“As a platform, BackaBuddy allows us to come together as communities to support people and causes that we believe in, regardless of our differences. For every cause, accident or catastrophe that we face, we bear witness to the many who step up when asked to by their peers. This is the immense power that crowdfunding facilitates and which goes far beyond just the funds that are raised” – Patrick Schofield, CEO
Take a look back at some of BackaBuddy’s memorable crowdfunding campaigns:
Inspiring Individuals
1. The Good Samaritan
When Monet van Deventer stopped at the Shell Ultra City in Somerset West and realized she forgot her bank card at home, a good Samaritan, Nkosikho Mbele, who works as a petrol attendant, offered to fill her tank with R100 to ensure she got home safely.
To show her appreciation for Nkosi’s kind deed, Monet set up a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy with a fundraising target of R100 000. With tremendous support from the public, over R500 000 was raised in a few short days with contributions from over 2 500 donors from around the world. Catching up with Nkosi, we are happy to report he’s doing great and has begun working on extending his mother’s house with the funds he received. Nkosi says he is still recognized from time to time and is still enjoying his job as a petrol attendant!
2. First-Class ‘Roosterbrood’
Eight years ago, ‘Tannie’ Poppie Van As (64), who runs a small roadside ‘roosterbrood’ stand on the N1 in Laingsburg in the Western Cape, met sports events organizer, Stan Engelbrecht (43). Impressed with her talents and her infectious personality, Poppie was introduced to the Italian owners of Eroica and was invited to Gaiole, Italy to make her now-famous ‘roosterbrood’ for their main cycling event in 2019.
With the cost of her flight covered, Stan launched a campaign on BackaBuddy to cover Poppie’s accommodation and spending money for the once in a lifetime trip. With donations from almost 200 donors, over R100 000 was raised and Poppie was ready to go! Spotted at the airport, Tannie Poppie was even upgraded to business class for her first-ever trip overseas. One of the highlights from Poppie’s trip was braaiing at chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen’s restaurant, JAN in Nice, Italy.
“Here was this vivacious woman in her 60s, bursting with joie de vivre, who was making her living selling roosterkoek from a padstal along the N1 motorway outside Laingsburg. Then, after a whole life in the Great Karoo, she was suddenly on her way to Italy to make this essentially South African, fire-baked bread for a group of cyclists on tour. I was hooked. Her rural-small-town story reminded me more than a little bit of my own. And she was going to be just around the corner! I just couldn’t resist inviting her to JAN to give my team of fancy schmancy chefs an education in how to bake ‘real’ roosterkoek. This is her story, as told by the team who helped her to make this dream a reality…” – Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen
3. Saving Aaron
Aaron Lipschitz (5) from Sea Point, Cape Town, is the first child in South Africa to be diagnosed with Interleukin-12 Receptor Defect, a rare genetic condition that affects the immune system. As there is currently no cure for Aaron’s condition, the only way for Aaron to overcome his recurrent infections and survive this condition was to have a bone marrow transplant in August 2018. Over the course of two years, the BackaBuddy campaign raised over R1 000 000 to support Aaron’s ongoing medical costs with contributions from almost 1 000 donors both locally and abroad.
4. Checkmate
When star chess player, Amahle Zenzile (13) from Cape Town was unable to attend the SAJCC Closed in Johannesburg due to lack of funds, her best friend and fellow competitor, Trinity Van Beeck (13), along with her mum Marisa Laas and coach Thando Hlakula stepped in and launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy. With well-wishes and support from the public, Amahle went on to finish 5th in her age group and was awarded her South African colours. Campaigning a second time, Amahle was able to represent South Africa in Namibia, where she placed 4th in her division. In total, almost R60 000 has been raised for Amahle’s tournaments.
5. Cody the Brave
10-year-old pony, Cody, made international news in June 2017 when he found his way home, against insurmountable odds, 16 days after the devastating Knysna fires that nearly claimed his life. To cover the cost of his treatment, a campaign was launched that raised over R130 000 from almost 300 animal lovers across the globe. Courageous Cody has since become the animal ambassador for The Eden Empathy Initiative where he continues to inspire everyone he meets.
6. From the Township to the Skies
Xolisa Shenxani (18) from Sir Lowry Pass Village in Cape Town has had his heart set on becoming a commercial pilot from a young age despite coming from a disadvantaged background.
“I used to look up into the air and see helicopters fly over my house but I didn’t know what they were. I thought, ‘I would love to fly that thing!’, but I wasn’t sure if people could fly in it. I remember, in grade 1 or 2, a helicopter landed on the soccer field in Sir Lowry’s Pass and I got to see inside of it. That’s when I knew that I wanted to become a pilot!” – Xolisa
Xolisa’s dreams were set in motion in 2019 after almost R200 000 was raised to fund his grade 11 and matric year at private school. Xolisa was taken by surprise when an anonymous donor contributed R101 500, leaving only a short message of support: “Glo jy kan dit doen”. Xolisa passed matric with impressive results and achieved the minimum requirements to apply for the airforce in 2021!
Inspiring Causes
1. Cause Climber
In 2018, Andrew Patterson climbed Table Mountain every day for a year to support 3 charities close to his heart. On New Year’s Eve, Andrew took his last step in a year-long journey that totaled 2429 km, including 262 km of vertical climbing (equivalent to 71 Mt Everests). Having raised just over R910 000 on BackaBuddy, Andrew supported Habitat for Humanity’s OVC project in Khayelitsha, provided 7 primary schools with teaching materials through NPO One Heart for Kids, and added 60 new donors to the Sunflower Fund bone marrow registry.
“With my BackaBuddy campaign I was treated to the spirit of Ubuntu and was surrounded year-round with amazing human beings who shared my focus and passion to help others” – Andrew Patterson
2. Beauty with Purpose
In the wake of the Knysna Fires in June 2017, Former Miss South Africa, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters launched a campaign on BackaBuddy to help rebuild her hometown. Urging South Africans to support her cause for the Sedgefield Lions Club, over R625 000 was raised, exceeding the initial target of R500 000 to provide supplies for the families that lost their homes and livelihoods in the blaze.
3. A Walk to Remember
In September 2019, rape survivor and activist Leilani Kuter (46) began a 27-day journey, covering a distance of 729km, to take a stand against sexual assault and gender-based violence in South Africa. Wearing yellow, the colour her attacker wore, Leilani broke her silence and raised over R260 000 on BackaBuddy to support rape crisis centers. With overwhelming support, Leilani has since launched a non-profit company, #YellowForSurvivors and once again tightened her laces in September 2020 to begin a 448km nostalgic walk.
“Every step of my journey thus far is in defiance of systemic violence against women, men and children and a celebration of our collective survival spirit. Walking has become a big part of my healing process and I’ve learned, as I get older, that you can’t run away from your past. You need to confront it head-on in order to move on.” – Leilani Kuter
4. Zolani Mahola Lends Her Voice
In 2018, lead singer of Freshlyground, Zolani Mahola, who became a bone marrow donor 3 years ago, lent her support to The South African Bone Marrow Registry’s ‘Give a little, Save A Life’ campaign. Funds raised by the campaign were used to assist four local children in need of a life-saving Stem Cell Transplant. With support from the public, almost R500 000 was raised.
“As a nation, we have a rich history of Ubuntu and we must continually find new ways of expressing it. With many of our donors coming from overseas, we need more donors of African descent. With the procedure itself not being the onerous and painful task it used to be, we have so much potential to make a difference at home” – Zolani Mahola
5. Birthday for the Birds
Upon learning that the Umgeni River Bird Park was under strain due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Romario Valentine (9), an environmental activist, launched a campaign to raise funds for the sanctuary’s Inspire to Conserve program in lieu of birthday gifts. With support from the public, Romario superseded his fundraising target of R15 000, raising over R30 000.
6. Rising Above Her Pain
In 2018, founder of Rise18, Zanele Hlatshwayo, participated in 18 marathons, totaling over 648km to support The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG). With over R200 000 raised, Zanele’s initiative funded over 10 000 phone calls to the national suicide toll-free hotline in honor of her late father who took his own life due to depression.
“I found strength in my vulnerability and found a way to deal with my father’s tragedy through those who have shared their pain with me. I believe with Rise18, we have just scratched the surface, there is still so much that needs to be done” – Zanele Hlatshwayo
A Climb to Everest Base Camp
In 2018, fifteen individuals led by the founder of the Avela Foundation, Cami Palomo, began a 9-day trekking route, ending in triumph at 5,364 meters at the base of Mount Everest. Committed to the climb, over R2.1 million was raised to kick-start Avela’s U-Matter program, an initiative to provide a psychological support network for burn survivors and their families.
Among the hikers was William Baartman, who at age of three years old, was a victim of gross human rights violation when his home was petrol bombed. He sustained 75% burn wounds and lost his younger sister, Grace, in the fire.
“I was too afraid to leave the house because I was scared of what others might think and now I have climbed to Mount Everest base camp! I hope to send a message to those hiding from the world, that there’s hope for them, hope they think doesn’t exist.” – William Baartman
Rainbows and Smiles
Rainbows and Smiles, an organisation that provides emotional, social, and financial support to families and caregivers affected by cancer, have raised over R1.9 million on BackaBuddy through participating in various sporting events such as the Midmar Mile, the Comrades, and Two Oceans.
The Smile Foundation
The Smile Foundation, a South African NGO that assists children with any type of facial abnormality to receive free corrective plastic and reconstructive surgery, has raised over R1.7 million on BackaBuddy through a variety of projects.
Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic
#ImStaying Feeds the Vulnerable
The implementation of the national lockdown left many families destitute. To assist with food vouchers, viral Facebook sensation #ImStaying raised over R1 million on BackaBuddy to feed over 24 000 vulnerable South Africans. In total, they have raised over R1.4 million for various projects.
Gift of the Givers Give Back
To empower doctors, nurses, and medical staff across South Africa, The Gift of the Givers launched a campaign that has raised over R1.4 million. The funds were used to purchase manual and automated ventilation equipment, intubation equipment, and safety supplies. In total, Gift of the Givers has raised over R2.8 million on BackaBuddy.
“To build South Africa as a nation, we need ties that bind us in positive ways. We need to invest in each other and support each other in ways that cross over traditional boundaries. Crowdfunding brings people together in positive ways, around things that we are passionate about, giving us the opportunity to be part of something greater than ourselves.” – Patrick Schofield
Create your own crowdfunding campaign
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy, has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition, and various causes in South Africa. The platform has raised over R200 Million to Date.
