In an extraordinary display of generosity and community spirit, Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels has raised over R2 million this Mandela Day to help fund life-changing cochlear implant surgeries for 23 deaf and hearing-impaired South Africans through former Miss South Africa Mia le Roux’s About Sound initiative.
The funds raised will enable children and adults on the waiting list at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital to receive the surgeries they desperately need, giving many of them the opportunity to hear for the very first time, or to regain the gift of sound after losing their hearing.
To mark Mandela Day 2026, Good Morning Angels partnered with Mia le Roux and #AboutSound, a public-private initiative working to provide cochlear implants to 20 vulnerable state patients. While the life-changing implant devices had already been secured, the project required funding to cover the surgeries after limited theatre capacity at the hospital threatened to delay the procedures beyond the critical treatment window.
Mia le Roux made history as the first differently abled participant to wear the Miss South Africa crown. Having received a cochlear implant at just two years old, followed by years of dedicated therapy and treatment, Mia was able to hear and develop speech. Today, she has dedicated her platform to championing the rights of the deaf community.
“I am where I am because of the way my village carried me and helped me get a cochlear implant,” says le Roux. “I understand the life-changing importance and honour to be a part of this village that will help to lift so many others.”
Cochlear implants are highly effective, technologically advanced devices that can restore or provide the ability to hear. However, the financial barrier is immense, with a single implant typically costing between R400,000 and R700,000, placing the treatment beyond the reach of most South African families.
In an extraordinary act of collaboration, The Ear & Eye Clinic in Meyersdal committed to performing three cochlear implant surgeries each month at a significantly reduced rate, lowering surgical costs by approximately 80% to 85%. This brought the average cost per surgery down to R100,000 per patient for this specific project, making it possible to help significantly more patients.
The first three young patients to receive their life-changing operations on 23 July 2026 are Abdullah Myles (1 year and 4 months old), Amukelo Baloyi (2 years old) and Moloko Mokgwana (9 years old).
The campaign resonated deeply with listeners and corporate South Africa alike, with donations pouring in throughout the morning. Donations came flooding in including R100,000 from LottoStar, R100,000 from Sons of Thunder, R100,000 from Rollfab Engineering, R100,000 from CER Synergies and their EDI Trust, R100,000 from Cubed Coatings along with Fine Blanking Group, R300,000 from The Naked Difference, an anonymous donation of R300,000, R400,000 from GHH Mining Komatsu and R500,000 from the Absa Charity Golf Day. The Good Morning Angels Fund will contribute a further R165,000 bringing the total raised to R2,3-million. This means 23 people will now be able to receive their cochlea implants.
“For this Mandela Day, we decided to go to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg to assist the many people waiting for cochlear implants and help give them the gift of sound,” says Martin Bester, host of Jacaranda FM’s Breakfast with Martin Bester. “We set our target initially at R1 million to help 10 people and ended up with over R2 million coming in to help give 23 people the gift of sound.
He adds, “As a radio station, Jacaranda FM is all about sound, so to be able to give people the gift of hearing and change lives in such a profound way is incredibly humbling. It’s beautiful to see the power of this big purple feel-good family in full force once again. Our listeners always go above and beyond, and they’ve made this Mandela Day incredibly special.”
For Jacaranda FM, the campaign carried special significance. As a station built around the power of sound, helping people experience hearing for the first time, or regain it after losing it, perfectly reflects the purpose that has long driven Good Morning Angels: changing lives through the generosity of South Africans.