National Cupcake Day raises more than R2.1 million for children with cancer - IOL
"Cupcake Angels" show off their sweet treats at the East Rand Mall stand in support of National Cupcake Day.
Cupcakes of Hope raised R2,106,021 at 87 participating malls across South Africa during National Cupcake Day on Saturday, September 26. The total exceeded the R2,092,310 raised in 2025.
According to the organiser, 3,100 volunteer bakers, known as Cupcake Angels, pledged 117,886 cupcakes for this year’s campaign.
The money will fund childhood cancer awareness campaigns and practical assistance for children and their families.
Cupcakes of Hope says it currently supports more than 140 children each month, helping with medical bills, transport and other essential needs. Most beneficiaries are referred by social workers and doctors.
"Cupcake Angels" pose with their impressive display of baked goods at the Mall of the South in support of National Cupcake Day.
For Dr Able Nxobile Mdhluli, the need for that support was clear. She was 13 when she was diagnosed with cancer, and her family regularly travelled from Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga to a paediatric oncology hospital in Gauteng. Each trip cost about R1,800.
Cupcakes of Hope helped the family with transport, accommodation, and meals for more than a year. It also connected Mdhluli with childhood cancer survivors who understood what she was going through.
Mdhluli later qualified as a doctor. “My experience with cancer had a profound influence on my decision to study medicine,” she said in a statement issued ahead of National Cupcake Day.
“Having been a patient myself, I understand how important compassionate care, support, and hope can be during some of the most difficult moments in a person’s life.”
Her family’s experience showed why support extended beyond medical bills. Children could need repeated treatment far from home, while their parents had to cover travel, food and accommodation alongside their usual household expenses.
“When a child is diagnosed with cancer, life changes instantly for the whole family,” Cupcakes of Hope founder Sandy Cipriano said.
“We can’t take away a child’s diagnosis, but we can help ease some of the practical, emotional, and financial pressures so families can focus on what matters most, their child.”
Dr Natasché Daniels, a general practitioner, childhood cancer survivor and Cupcakes of Hope patron, said easing everyday pressures helped parents focus on their children.
“Cancer affects the whole family. When some of the practical pressures are lifted, parents can focus on supporting their child through treatment. Becoming a Cupcake Angel is a simple but meaningful way for South Africans to remind families they do not have to face childhood cancer alone.”
Baker and Cupcakes of Hope ambassador Grace Stevens, who has supported the campaign for almost a decade, said, “I’ve watched National Cupcake Day grow from a handful of shopping centres into a national movement, but it’s never lost its heart."
“I’ve met the children, the parents and the volunteers who make it possible, and every year I leave inspired to keep helping, one cupcake at a time.”
“I hope my story inspires other young cancer patients and their families to keep believing that there is life and possibility beyond cancer,” Dr Able Nxobile Mdhluli said, based on her experience as a 13-year-old who had been diagnosed with cancer.
