Skip to content

#WearBlueforDiabetes & Know the 5

It’s time for South Africa’s biggest diabetes awareness campaign! #WearBlueforDiabetes.

We want the whole of South Africa to wear blue on World Diabetes Day, Thursday 14th November 2024.

Why? So that every South African will know the 5 symptoms of diabetes.

wear blue for diabetes & know the 5 symptoms

We all know the terrifying stats: Diabetes is the number one killer of women in South Africa, the number two killer of men. 1 in 2 people with diabetes is undiagnosed.

So what can we do?

Early diagnosis: longer life

Diabetes is not a lethal condition. Yet it kills more women than anything else in South Africa. Why? Well, one of the reasons is because people are diagnosed too late – when the condition is already presenting with severe long-term complications (blindness, amputation, kidney failure, heart disease).

An early diagnosis can lead to a longer, healthier life with diabetes.

the 5 symptoms of diabetes

This is how awareness begins

We need all South Africans to know the 5 symptoms of diabetes as well as they know the symptoms of a cold. That’s our goal here.

Sign the Pledge Wall to publicly commit to supporting people with diabetes by wearing blue on World Diabetes Day, and sharing the 5 symptoms of diabetes.

Local stories of lived experience

While the two voices for this campaign are Bridget McNulty and Siyabonga Zuma, both living with Type 1 diabetes, we want to ensure that each province has a lived experience representative.

That’s why we’ve got nine #WearBlueforDiabetes champions – one per province – to share their local story of life with diabetes, and how important it is to wear blue and know the 5 symptoms on Thursday 14th November.

#BlueBalloonChallenge meets the 5 symptoms

The #BlueBalloonChallenge is an initiative by Medtronic Global that encourages people without diabetes to go about their daily lives while keeping a blue balloon in the air at all times (not a helium balloon!) It helps to make the invisible workload of diabetes more visible.

5 symptoms of diabetes meets #BlueBalloonChallenge

This year we’re combining the #BlueBalloonChallenge with the 5 symptoms by printing blue balloons with the 5 symptoms of diabetes.

Wearing blue is easy, diabetes is not

Whether it’s your team at work, or your local school, your group of friends or just your family, wearing blue is not a difficult thing to do. We all have something blue in our wardrobes. But the impact of wearing blue in support of people with diabetes is immense. Diabetes is a 24/7/365 chronic condition. It can feel very lonely – even when you’re part of a community like Sweet Life. Seeing people unaffected by diabetes visibly showing support makes a huge difference.

How to get involved

Sign the Pledge Wall to publicly commit to supporting people with diabetes by wearing blue on World Diabetes Day, and sharing the 5 symptoms of diabetes.

Sign up to be reminded to wear blue on World Diabetes Day, and for free resources and printable posters to share with your school, workplace or friends.

Share share share!

We want the whole of South Africa to #WearBlueforDiabetes & Know the 5!

Right-click or press down to save these for sharing. If you want to link for others to get involved, please include www.sweetlife.org.za/wear-blue-for-diabetes

Don’t forget! Use #WearBlueforDiabetes so that we can share your posts.

The 5 Symptoms Challenges

In 2023, we launched the 5 Symptoms Schools Challenge: we invited schools across SA to post a photo or video sharing the 5 symptoms of diabetes in the most innovative way. The most innovative entry won a colour printer and ink for a year.

Win a colour printer and ink for a year by sharing the 5 symptoms of diabetes

This year, we’re issuing the same challenge to schools, but adding in a 5 Symptoms Friends Challenge, and a 5 Symptoms Family Challenge.

5 Symptoms Friends Challenge

Share the 5 symptoms of diabetes in the most innovative way and you and your friends could win a R2000 restaurant voucher to the restaurant of your choice!

Win a R2000 meal voucher by sharing the 5 symptoms of diabetes

5 Symptoms Family Challenge

Share the 5 symptoms of diabetes in the most innovative way and you and your family could win a R2000 grocery voucher!

Win a R2000 shopping voucher by sharing the 5 symptoms of diabetes

Let’s flood social media with the 5 symptoms of diabetes in the most innovative ways!

Invite your school to take part in the 5 Symptoms Challenge

One school will win a colour printer and ink for a year. All you have to do is post a pic or video of learners sharing the 5 symptoms of diabetes, with the hashtag #WearBlueforDiabetes to enter! The most innovative entry wins.

Terms and conditions

  1. The competitions close on 15 November 2024
  2. Qualifying entries include any photograph or video posted on social media of friends / family / learners sharing the 5 symptoms of diabetes using the hashtag #WearBlueforDiabetes.
  3. The winner will be selected from qualifying entries.
  4. The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
  5. The prize is not transferable.
  6. The winning school’s and individual’s (in the case of Friends and Family Challenges) names will be published for publicity.

Join us for two Instagram Lives!

We are so excited to be hosting two Instagram Lives as part of #WearBlueforDiabetes:

Holly Rey on Monday October 14th at 1pm, and Dr Ziphozenkosi on Thursday 14th November at 1pm. Please join us for both!

Sponsors:

This campaign has been generously supported by many companies working with diabetes in South Africa. We couldn’t have done it without them, and we are deeply grateful for their support!

Platinum Sponsor:

Medtronic logo

Medtronic is committed to empowering and supporting you, so you can manage Type 1 diabetes on your own terms.

Find out more about their insulin pumps, CGM and smart insulin pens at www.medtronic-diabetes.com/en-ZA

Gold Sponsor:

Pick n Pay logo

Pick n Pay is a much-loved brand, valued within society, built on a genuine desire to make life better for our customers and to make a positive contribution to the communities in which we live and work. Find out more at www.pnp.co.za

Aspen is a global specialty and branded multinational pharmaceutical company with a presence in both emerging and developed markets.
Find out more at www.aspenpharma.com

Silver Sponsors:

AstraZeneca logo
Boehringer Ingelheim logo
Discovery logo
Embecta logo
Merck logo
Roche logo



Sweet Life is a registered NPO/PBO (220-984) with a single goal: to improve diabetes in South Africa. We are funded by sponsorships and donations from aligned companies and organisations who believe in our work. We only share information that we believe benefits our community. While some of this information is linked to specific brands, it is not an official endorsement of that brand. We believe in empowering people with diabetes to make the best decisions they can, to live a healthy, happy life with diabetes.

Get all the latest diabetes news - for free!

Once a month, we'll send you a quick diabetes update.
It's the one newsletter everyone with diabetes in SA should be reading.