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, Saturday 14th November 2026.
If there’s one thing our annual #WearBlueforDiabetes campaigns have taught us, it’s that change starts from the bottom up. Empowered individuals empower communities.
This year, we’re empowering individuals to hold 100 diabetes awareness walks around South Africa on Saturday 14th November 2026.
Each November, social media gets noisy. Let’s keep things focused on what really matters:
diabetes awareness in communities.
How to get involved
100 lucky people will be sent a DIY Diabetes Walk Box, with everything you need to host your own diabetes walk on World Diabetes Day.
The 100 boxes will include:
- A step-by-step guide to how to set up the walk.
- Community advice from Be Active for Diabetes, and a list of all 228 Park Run locations.
- Educational materials to hand out: Healthy Food Guides, TEEL leaflets and Diabetes & Mental Health books.
- A fun quiz about diabetes facts, and a pair of Sock Doctor socks as a prize.
- A t-shirt with the 5 symptoms of diabetes, to wear at the walk.
- A tin of NOMU Skinny hot chocolate, so that everyone can have a diabetes-friendly treat.
- An invitation to share pics or video on social media, using #WearBlueforDiabetes, with great prizes.
- Educational materials or samples from sponsors.
Sharing diabetes awareness far and wide
Whether or not you host a walk you can still spread diabetes awareness. The reality is that change starts with one person: so even if all you do is explain to one person that you’re wearing blue on World Diabetes Day to support diabetes awareness, you’re doing your bit.
If you can share the 5 symptoms of diabetes at the same time, even better!
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.
We want the whole of South Africa to #WearBlueforDiabetes!
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.
100 walks across South Africa
Instead of trying to reach all South Africans from the top down, we’re empowering 100 individuals to hold their own diabetes walks, anywhere in South Africa.
We’re sending out 100 DIY Diabetes Walk Boxes, with everything you need to hold a walk and spread diabetes awareness in your community, including an invitation to share pics or video on social media, using #WearBlueforDiabetes.
The event that makes the most effort wins a R2,000 PnP voucher, with 3 special mentions each winning R500 vouchers.
We want to empower individuals
to share reliable diabetes information and awareness
in their communities.
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.
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!
Gold Sponsor:
MiniMed 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
Silver Sponsors:
