By Wayne du Plessis, SCOUTS South Africa CEO

By Nicholas Huisman

Scouting in South Africa is built on partnership and shared purpose. It is not the work of one group alone, but a collective effort between staff, volunteers, families, and supporters who all contribute to the same mission: developing young people into capable, confident leaders.

But there is a reality many people don’t always see from the outside of an organisation like SCOUTS South Africa – the programmes you experience as a young person or volunteer require a much bigger ecosystem working behind the scenes.

At the heart of Scouting lies leadership, resilience, and adventure. But Scouting cannot be implemented without sustained support which often requires finances.

That’s where initiatives like the Woolworths’ ‘My Difference’ (formerly known as MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet) come in. These kinds of corporate community funding programmes are quietly powerful. They turn everyday spending into consistent, unrestricted funding for organisations like ours – funding that we can plan around. For SCOUTS South Africa, that matters more than people realise.

While big donations and once-off grants are incredibly valuable, it’s the steady, predictable income that keeps doors open. It’s what enables us to grow our offering to youth, to enhance training opportunities for adult volunteers, and to provide support to Scout Groups operating in rural and impoverished communities.  That’s the real impact.

What makes programmes like this even more meaningful is how simple it is for our members and supporters to be part of it. You don’t have to run a fundraiser, attend an event, or make a large donation. You just download the Woolworths App, choose a beneficiary – and if SCOUTS South Africa is that beneficiary, your normal daily spend starts contributing to something much bigger. It’s a small action with a long-term effect.

And if I’m honest, this is where I think we sometimes miss an opportunity as a Scout Movement. We have thousands of members, families, and supporters across the country. If even a portion of that community selected SCOUTS South Africa as their My Difference beneficiary, the cumulative impact would be significant. It would give us more stability, more reach, and more ability to say “yes” to young people who need Scouting most.

If you’re part of our movement, a Scout alumnus, or someone who believes in youth leadership development, consider making SCOUTS South Africa your beneficiary on programmes like MyDifference. It doesn’t cost you anything extra. But to us, it means everything.

Behind every badge earned and every campfire story told, there’s a network of support making it possible. And sometimes, the most powerful contributions are the ones that happen quietly, in the background, every single day.

Here’s how to support us at no extra cost:

• Download or open the Woolworths App (App Store and Google Play).
• Go to Loyalty > My Causes > Type SCOUTS South Africa.
• Select SCOUTS South Africa as your beneficiary.
• Done! Keep making a difference with every swipe as you shop.

*Note: You have 30 days to choose your cause once you join MyDifference. Yes, you can still support your child’s school AND SCOUTS SA. 

Your support helps us to serve and empower youth across South Africa through Scouting. Every swipe for Scouting makes a real difference!