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New Life to a Safe House in Caledon
The Western Cape's Premier, Alan Winde and Theewaterskloof Municipality joined forces with SAB to support Women and Families. On 18 July 2025 in Caledon, the Theewaterskloof Municipality, in partnership with the South African Breweries (SAB), hosted a Mandela Day activation at the newly upgraded Safe House. The safe house upgrades were made possible through financial support from SAB. The refurbished facility now includes a dedicated educational and workshop space focused on gender-based violence (GBV) awareness, skills development, and community healing. This transformation has strengthened it to continue to serve as a vital support hub for at risk women and families in the region.
The Mandela Day event brought together Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, Executive Mayor Alderman Lincoln De Bruyn, the SAB Corporate Affairs Representatives and municipal officials. Alongside local volunteers and residents, they packed and prepared care parcels containing essential items for women and families affected by GBV throughout the municipality.
“Gender-based violence and femicide are among the most critical social challenges we face. Tackling them requires more than symbolic action; it demands sustained, collective commitment,” said Premier Alan Winde. “The government, civil society, the private sector, and communities must work hand-in-hand to create safe and supportive environments. Partnerships like this one between Theewaterskloof Municipality and SAB are powerful examples of how we can unite for real, lasting change.”
“This Safe House and the outpouring of support we witnessed today reflect what Mandela Day is all about, compassion, service, and solidarity,” added Executive Mayor Alderman Lincoln De Bruyn. “We are grateful to SAB for being a purpose-driven partner. Together, we are building not only a safer municipality, but a more hopeful one.”
The initiative aligns with broader efforts to build resilient communities and foster safer environments, goals supported by both public and private sectors. SAB's commitment is through its flagship platform, SAB Sharp, which is focused on advancing safer and responsible communities. The strategy includes two key interventions:
**Positive masculinity: through the NoExcuse program, it has trained over 56 000 men to promote gender equity, address toxic norms, and become allies in reducing the prevalence of GBV.
**GBV support systems: it provides direct assistance to women at risk, intending to reach 2,000 vulnerable women by 2025. This Safe House forms part of this intervention, as do several other shelters supported across South Africa.
“Mandela Day is a powerful reminder that change begins with each one of us, but real impact takes more than 67 minutes, it takes 365 days of courage,” said Zoleka Lisa, Vice President of Corporate Affairs. “As a business rooted in local communities, we are committed to supporting survivors of gender-based violence by playing a constructive role in strengthening support systems and uplifting safe spaces. Our partnership with Theewaterskloof Municipality is one example of how we show up meaningfully to help restore dignity, safety, and hope for women and families. Through SAB Sharp, we've supported 20 non-profit organisations since 2021, revitalising shelters, providing essential services and strengthening lifelines that too often go underfunded”.
The event also reaffirmed the Western Cape Government's ongoing commitment to addressing GBV at the grassroots level, with Premier Winde joining the initiative at the invitation of the Executive Mayor. As it marks 130 years of being committed community presence, SAB remains focused on being a responsible and responsive partner, supporting initiatives that build resilience, promote dignity, and deliver shared value across South Africa.
Lungile Manganyi (Senior Account Manager: Media Relations)
