Planning is important and thanks to the South African Government and Nonprofit Tech for Good, I have compiled the below list of monthly cause and awareness days for Nonprofits in South Africa. Use the below to plan out your online and offline campaigns for 2020:
January 2020
Read my post about January 2020 Social Media Posting Days here.
Monthly Theme for South Africa
- SunSmart Skin Cancer Awareness Month (1 December to 31 January)
South Africa & International Days
- 4 World Braille Day
- 19 World Religion Day — #WorldReligionDay
- 20 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service — #MLKDay
- 26 World Leprosy Day
- 28 Data Privacy Day — #DataPrivacyDay
February 2020
Monthly Themes for South Africa
- Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Month
- Reproductive Health Month
- Environmental Health Awareness Month
South Africa & International Days
- 2 World Wetlands Day — #WorldWetlandsDay
- 4 World Cancer Day — #WorldCancerDay
- 10 International Epilepsy Day
- 10-16 National Epilepsy Week
- 10-16 Pregnancy Awareness Week
- 10-16 STI / Condom Week
- 11Feb-20 March Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination first round
- 11 Safer Internet Day — #SID20
- 13 World Radio Day — #WorldRadioDay
- 14 V-Day — #1BillionRising
- 15 World Whale Day — #WorldWhaleDay
- 20 World Day of Social Justice — #SocialJusticeDay
- 21 Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Day
- 25 World Spay Day — #WorldSpayDay
- 27 Digital Learning Day — #DLDay
- 27 International Polar Bear Day — #PolarBearDay
- 28 Rare Disease Day — #RareDiseaseDay
March 2020
Monthly Theme for South Africa
- TB Awareness Month
South Africa & International Days
- 3 World Hearing Day
- 3 World Birth Defects Day
- 3 World Wildlife Day — #WorldWildlifeDay
- 4-10 World Salt Awareness Week
- 8 International Women’s Day — #IWD20
- 8-14 World Glaucoma Week
- 12 World Kidney Day — #WorldKidneyDay
- 20 Global Recycling Day — #GRD2020
- 20 World Head Injury Awareness Day
- 21 Human Rights Day
- 21 World Down Syndrome Day
- 21 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination — #EndRacism
- 21 International Day of Forests — #ForestsDay
- 21 World Down Syndrome Day — #WDSD20
- 21 World Poetry Day — #WorldPoetryDay
- 22 World Water Day — #WorldWaterDay
- 24 World Tuberculosis Day — #WorldTBDay
- 28 Earth Hour — #EarthHour
April 2020
Monthly Theme for South Africa
- Health Awareness Month
South Africa & International Days
- 2 World Autism Awareness Day — #WorldAustismDay
- 7 World Health Day — #WorldHealthDay
- 12 International Day for Street Children — #StreetChildrenDay
- 14 World Dolphin Day — #WorldDolphinDay
- 15 World Art Day — #WorldArtDay
- 17 World Haemophilia Day
- 20-26 African Vaccination Week
- 22 Earth Day — #EarthDay
- 23 World Book Day — #WorldBookDay
- 25 International Sculpture Day — #ISDay
- 25 World Malaria Day — #WorldMalariaDay
- 25 World Penguin Day — #WorldPenguinDay
- 30 International Jazz Day — #JazzDay
May 2020
Monthly Themes for South Africa
- Anti-tobacco Campaign Month
- Burns Awareness Month
- International Multiple Sclerosis Month
South Africa & International Days
- 3 World Press Freedom Day — #WorldPressFreedomDay
- 3-10 Hospice Week
- 5 World Hand Hygiene Day
- 5 International Midwives Day
- 6-12 National Burns Awareness Week
- 8 World Red Cross Day
- 9 World Fair Trade Day — #WorldFairTradeDay
- 10 World Lupus Day — #WorldLupusDay
- 10 Global Move for Health Day
- 12 International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases
- 12 International Nurses Day
- 12 World Migratory Bird Day — #WorldMigratoryBirdDay
- 15 Endangered Species Day — #EndangeredSpeciesDay
- 15 May -15 Jun Go Turquoise for the Elderly Campaign
- 17 World Hypertension Day
- 17 International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia — #IDAHOT20
- 18 International Museum Day — #MuseumDay
- 22 International Day for Biological Diversity — #BiologicalDiversityDay
- 23 World Turtle Day — #WorldTurtleDay
- 28 International Day of Action for Women’s Health
- 31 World No Tobacco Day — #WorldNoTobaccoDay
- 31 May- 7 Jun National Child Protection Week
June 2020
Monthly Themes for South Africa
- Men’s Health Month
- National Blood Donor Month
- National Youth Month Go Turquoise for the Elderly Campaign
South Africa & International Days
- 1 International Children’s Day
- 1-7 World Heart Rhythm Week
- 5 World Environment Day — #WorldEnvironmentDay
- 7 National Cancer Survivors Day
- 8 World Oceans Day — #WorldOceansDay
- 12 World Day Against Child Labor — #WDACL20
- 14 World Blood Donor Day — #WorldBloodDonorDay
- 15 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
- 16 Youth Day
- 20 World Refugee Day — #WorldRefugeeDay
- 21 International Day of Yoga — #YogaDay
- 22 World Rainforest Day — #WorldRainforestDay
- 22-28 SANCA Drug Awareness Week
- 25 World Vitiligo Day
- 26 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
- 27 Gay Pride Day — #Pride20
Bumper List of 2020 Cause and Awareness Days for Nonprofits in #SouthAfrica Click To Tweet
July 2020
Monthly Themes for South Africa
- Mental Illness Awareness Month
South Africa & International Days
- 6-10 Corporate Wellness Week
- 11 WorldPopulationDay — #WorldPopulationDay
- 18 Nelson Mandela International Day — #MandelaDay
- 28 World Hepatitis Day — #WorldHepatitisDay
- 29 International Tiger Day — #InternationalTigerDay
- 30 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons — #WorldDayAgainstTrafficking
August 2020
Monthly Themes for South Africa
- Bone Marrow Stem Cell Donation and Leukaemia Awareness Month (15 August to 15 October)
- National Women’s Month
- Organ Donor Month
- Child Health Month
South Africa & International Days
- 1-7 World Breastfeeding Week
- 1-7 CANSA Care Week
- 3-9 Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease Awareness Week
- 8-14 Polio Awareness Week
- 9 National Women’s Day
- 9 International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples — #IndigenousDay
- 10 World Lion Day — #WorldLionDay
- 11 Aug-18 Sept HPV vaccination second round
- 12 International Youth Day — #YouthDay
- 12 World Elephant Day — #WorldElephantDay
- 12 International Youth Day
- 17 National Nonprofit Day — #NationalNonprofitDay (Internationally recognized)
- 19 World Humanitarian Day — #WorldHumanitarianDay
- 26 National Dog Day — #DogDay (Internationally recognized)
- 26-31 African Traditional Medicine Week
- 29 International Day Against Nuclear Tests — #AgainstNuclearTestsDay
- 31 African Traditional Medicine Day
September 2020
Monthly Themes for South Africa
- Albinism Awareness Month
- Bone Marrow Stem Cell Donation and Leukaemia Awareness Month (15 August to 15 October)
- Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
- Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
- Eye Care Awareness Month (23 September to 18 October)
- Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Month
- Heart Awareness Month
- National Month of Deaf People
- National Oral Health Month
- Pharmacy Month
South Africa & International Days
- 5 International Day of Charity — #CharityDay
- 7-11 National Kidney Awareness Week
- 8 International Literacy Day — #LiteracyDay
- 9 International Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Day
- 10 International Gynaecological Health Day
- 10 World Suicide Prevention Day — #WSPD20
- 14 National Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Day
- 15 International Day of Democracy — #DemocracyDay
- 18 National Sunflower Day
- 21 International Day of Peace — #PeaceDay
- 21 World Alzheimer’s Day
- 21-27 World Retina Week
- 22 World Rhino Day — #WorldRhinoDay
- 25 World Pharmacist Day
- 26 World Environmental Health Day
- 26 World Contraception Day
- 27 World Tourism Day — #WorldTourismDay
- 27 World Rivers Day — #WorldRiversDay
- 28 World Rabies Day
- 28 World Retina Day
- 29 World Heart Day
October 2020
Monthly Themes for South Africa
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Month
- Bone Marrow Stem Cell Donation and Leukaemia Awareness Month (15 August to 15 October)
- Eye Care Awareness Month (21 September to 18 October)
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- Mental Health Awareness Month
South Africa & International Days
- 1 International Day of Older Persons
- 4 World Animal Day — #WorldAnimalDay
- 5 World Teachers Day — #WorldTeachersDay
- 6 World Cerebral Palsy Day — #WorldCPDay
- 7 World Habitat Day — #WorldHabitatDay
- 7-11 Back Care Awareness Week
- 9-19 National Nutrition Week
- 9-19 National Obesity Week
- 10 World Sight Day
- 10 World Hospice and Palliative Care Day
- 10 World Mental Health Day — #WorldMentalHealthDay
- 11 International Day of the Girl Child — #DayOfTheGirl
- 11-17 National Case Management Week
- 12 World Arthritis Day — #WorldArthritisDay
- 12-16 School Health Week
- 12-20 World Bone and Joint Week
- 13 International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction
- 14-16 Rotary Family Health Day Outreach Campaign
- 15 Global Handwashing Day
- 15 International Day of Rural Women — #RuralWomenDay
- 16 World Food Day — #WorldFoodDay
- 16 World Food Day
- 16 World Spine Day
- 16 World Restart A Heart
- 16 Global Cat Day — #GlobalCatDay
- 17 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty — #EndPoveryDay
- 17 World Trauma Day
- 17 National Emergency Medical Services Day
- 17 World Values Day — #WorldValuesDay
- 20 National Down Syndrome Day
- 20 World Osteoporosis Day
- 20-26 International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week
- 21 Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Day
- 24 World Polio Day
- 28 Oct to 3 Nov National Stroke Week
- 29 World Stroke Day
- 29: World Internet Day — #WorldInternetDay
- 30 Africa Food and Nutrition Security Day
- 31: World Cities Day — #WorldCitiesDay
November 2020
Monthly Themes for South Africa
- Quality Month
- Red Ribbon Month
South Africa & International Days
- 3 Nov-3 Dec Disability Rights Awareness Month
- 2-6 SADC Malaria Week
- 6 SADC Malaria Day
- 7 National Children’s Day
- 8 World Radiography Day
- 12 World Quality Day
- 13 World Kindness Day — #WorldKindnessDay
- 14 World Diabetes Day — #WorldDiabetesDay
- 15 World Philosophy Day — #WorldPhilosophyDay
- 16 International Day for Tolerance — #ToleranceDay
- 16-22 World Antibiotic Awareness Week
- 17 World Prematurity Day
- 19 World Pancreatic Cancer Day — #WPCD20
- 19 World Toilet Day — #WorldToiletDay
- 20 World Children’s Day — #WorldChildrensDay
- 21 World Television Day — #WorldTVDay
- 25 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women — #EndViolenceAgainstWomen
- 25 Nov-10 Dec 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children
December 2020
Monthly Themes for South Africa
- Prevention of Injuries Month
- SunSmart Skin Cancer Awareness Month (1 December to 31 January)
South Africa & International Days
1 Giving Tuesday — #GivingTuesday
- 1 World AIDS Day — #WorldAIDSDay
- 3 International Day of People with Disabilities — #IDPwD20
- 5 International Volunteer Day — #VolunteerDay
- 5 World Soil Day — #WorldSoilDay
- 9 International Anti-Corruption Day — #AntiCorruptionDay
- 9 World Patient Safety Day
- 10 International Human Rights Day — #HumanRightsDay
- 11 International Mountain Day — #MountainDay
- 12 Universal Health Coverage Day
- 18 International Migrants Day — #MigrantsDay