By the muddy banks of the Keiskamma River, where once children splashed and fishermen cast their lines, homes now stand half‑submerged and streets are little more than winding streams of brown water. Since June 9, torrential rains have battered South Africa’s Eastern Cape, turning gentle slopes into roaring rivers and flattening kilometres of roads in their wake. Entire families have watched as years of memories washed away in a single night.
In the midst of that heartbreak, a new ally has stepped forward. Bybit, the cryptocurrency exchange best known for its slick trading interface, has quietly pledged a donation to support relief work on the ground, teaming up with Gift of the Givers Foundation to launch the “Rebuild Flood-Stricken Communities in the Eastern Cape” campaign.
“At Bybit, we believe our responsibility extends beyond innovation in finance,” said Wilson Ogheneovo, Head of Africa at Bybit. “We are deeply saddened by the tragedy unfolding in the Eastern Cape and stand in solidarity with those affected. Through our support of Gift of the Givers, we hope to contribute meaningfully to the relief efforts and help restore dignity and hope to families who’ve lost everything.”
From Trading Screens to Relief Trucks
On the ground, Gift of the Givers volunteers are unloading boxes of bottled water, blankets and first‑aid kits from delivery trucks. They’re working village by village—knocking on doors, checking on elderly residents and making sure that no one is left without clean water or a warm meal.
“Rebuilding lives goes beyond bricks and mortar; it’s about restoring dignity and re-igniting hope,” said Badr Kazi, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Corporate and Government, of the Gift of the Givers. “We are grateful for Bybit’s generous support, which allows us to extend critical relief and infrastructure restoration to those who need it most. Partnerships like these make our mission possible.”
But the road to recovery is long. Washed‑out bridges still block access to remote villages, and clean water supplies are patchy at best. Gift of the Givers is planning to clear debris from critical roads and repair water pumps, all made possible by Bybit’s contribution.
Bybit’s supporters know the company for its cutting‑edge blockchain tools and a user base of over 70 million around the globe. Yet this marks a different kind of milestone: a reminder that innovation can—and should—reach beyond trading screens into communities that need it most.
As twilight falls over the Eastern Cape, relief workers pause to share a hot cup of soup by the glow of a single lantern. In their quiet determination, you can almost feel hope stirring, one blanket, one repaired road, one rebuilt home at a time. The floods may have left deep scars, but with partners like Bybit and Gift of the Givers, those wounds are beginning to heal.
