Somerset West model wins Best Community Impact award

Somerset West model Marnus Botha has dedicated his latest accolade to the Somerset West Night Shelter, honouring the organisation’s work with homeless people and destitute families.

Mr Botha won the Best Community Impact award at the Bold Excellence Awards 2025 (BEA25), which were presented by a Johannesburg-based online radio station this month. The annual awards recognise trailblazers across South Africa who make significant contributions in arts, leadership, business, and community upliftment.

He was honoured for his voluntary involvement at the shelter since last year, where he has led several projects to raise awareness about homelessness and raise funds for the organisation. These initiatives have included a Daycare Gardening Day, clothing drives, art and wine auction, and Mandela Day activities, among others.

One of his standout moments was the shelter’s biggest annual fundraiser in July, where donated art pieces and wine collections helped raise more than R250 000 in a single night.

“This award does not just go to me, but to every single person who inspired me to be better, do more for those in need, especially my Somerset West Night Shelter family,” he said.

Eshdey Diphae, chief executive of the online radio station that conferred the award, said Mr Botha’s community impact was “exceptional”.

“His consistency, compassion, and hands-on commitment to making a real difference are exactly the kind of impact we aim to honour. Recognising him was not just an award decision - it was an acknowledgement of the positive change he continues to create in people’s lives,” she said.

Jo Swart, chairperson of the Somerset West Night Shelter, described Mr Botha as a “perfect gentleman, open to helping with any need”.

“His professional approach and confident demeanour were a great addition. He faithfully supported all our advocacy and fundraising events, often bringing his lovely wife, Marguerite, and their baby boy. Marnus has continued to bless us in any way he can,” she said.

Mr Botha was the first runner-up in the Mister Global South Africa 2025 pageant in July and won both the Charity and Public Choice awards. In October, he also won the inaugural mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis Festive-Wear Top competition ("Somerset West designer wins Cape Town mayor's festive jersey challenge," October 10).

The Somerset West Night Shelter has served the community since 1988 and has run both a family shelter and a single-adult shelter since 2020.

The family shelter accommodates 28 destitute families for six to 12 months, during which they receive skills training, counselling, rehabilitation support and social services. The single-adult shelter houses 59 adults and functions as a more traditional homeless shelter where clients may stay for a night, although longer-term stays are encouraged.

The shelter also accepts prepaid vouchers that the public can purchase and hand out. These vouchers can be exchanged by people experiencing homelessness for meals, food parcels, hygiene products, and clothing.