The foundation was established in 2020, during the Covid-19 lockdowns and heightened food insecurity in already vulnerable communities. The Kolisi Foundation’s programmes are spread across three focus areas: food security, gender-based violence and education and sports development.

“[The] sports and education [focus area] is really well funded, but gender-based violence and food security not so much,” says Rachel.

For about R6,000 a month, a community kitchen can be supported to supply a daily meal to a community. Rachel says: “We don’t call them soup kitchens, we call them community kitchens, because what happens … in those spaces is more than just people coming … to get a daily meal. There are conversations happening, check-ins about what’s happening in the community, what’s happening in their houses…”

Siya and Rachel are able to leverage their positions and their relationships to assist organisations that are already doing phenomenal work.

When asked about how she handles feeling daunted by the massive need in South Africa, Rachel says: “It’s always helpful knowing that I’m not alone. I think every single South African realises that we live in an overwhelming time… We have a slogan in the foundation which I use on a personal basis as well: ‘Remember the one, one by one’. It reminds me that yes, there’s an overwhelming need, but not everything needs an overwhelming response. Sometimes just doing one thing for one person makes a big difference…

“Gender-based violence in South Africa is one of those things that is just so [daunting]… Obviously, ultimately, prevention lies with boys and men, but helping women to feel equipped for an emergency situation, that is where we started.”

The Power2You pack that the Kolisi Foundation provides costs R60 and contains pepper spray, a whistle, a wallet-size card with emergency numbers and a small journal with information.

A consistent and necessary element for Rachel and Siya is value alignment with the brands they work with, and identifying brands that include giving back as part of their business strategy.

Rachel says their most recent collaboration with BOS Ice Tea fits that mould. BOS has just launched Siya Kolisi’s Limited Edition BOS Ice Tea, with a beautiful can designed using Xhosa beadwork patterning. The Kolisi Foundation will receive 5% of turnover from the sale of the can.

The Kolisi family’s imminent move to France sees Siya Kolisi joining French rugby club Racing 92 after the Rugby World Cup. Rachel says she will go to France with a strong sense of hope that the Springboks can achieve a back-to-back victory.

“We often live these days in hopeless situations, hopeless in the state of South Africa, hopeless in … our work situations, hopeless in our financial situations. I just believe that when hope enters the situation, it can completely transform it, and I think that’s how I’m looking at this World Cup… I’m choosing to go in fully faithful and full of hope that we are going to come out victorious…” DM

How you can help

You can join the foundation’s Kolisi Kollective monthly donors club and become a part of something truly impactful:

R60 can provide a Power2You pack (containing pepper spray, a whistle, a wallet-size card with emergency numbers and a small journal with information) for a woman;

R250 can provide a child with a social worker’s support;

R500 can provide a trauma counselling session for someone affected by gender-based violence;

R925 can support a family of five with a grocery parcel; and

R6,050 can support a community kitchen for a month.

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R29.