Angela Yeung delivers 8,849 bras across South Africa, turning an Everest promise into acts of dignity for women and girls.
Image: Supplied
One year after summiting Mount Everest via the North Side, South African mountaineer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Angela Yeung has fulfilled a promise that began at 8 849 metres above sea level. For every metre climbed on Everest, one bra was pledged to restore dignity to women and girls affected by gender-based violence and vulnerable living conditions across South Africa.
All 8 849 bras collected through the Impilo Collection Foundation’s #EmpowerHer campaign are now being distributed across all nine provinces through shelters, women’s organisations, and frontline support structures. The campaign became a national movement during the 16 Days of Activism 2025, culminating in a public installation of 8,849 bras at Constitution Hill beside the historic Women’s Jail - “transforming a symbol of hardship into one of dignity, hope, and collective action,” the foundation said.
Each metre climbed on Everest equals one bra for those affected by gender-based violence.
Image: Supplied
Yeung said: “The summit was never the goal. The descent is. Delivering on what we promised - that is the real summit.”
The initiative was inspired by a simple request Yeung once received: “Please bring me a bra next time.” With support from volunteers, partners, and community organisations, the foundation is distributing the bras to 39 shelters nationwide.
Feedback from beneficiary organisations highlighted the campaign’s impact: “This donation is highly valued and promotes dignity and wellbeing,” and “This is something we always need desperately.”
The Impilo Collection Foundation’s #EmpowerHer initiative, inspired by Angela Yeung’s Everest climb, has successfully delivered 8 849 bras across all nine provinces, emphasizing dignity, empowerment, and social change.
Image: Supplied
As the campaign concludes, the foundation is shifting its focus toward education and early childhood development through its #EmpowerThem initiative. Yeung said: “One year later, the message remains clear: the true measure of a summit is not what is achieved at the top, but what is carried back down to uplift others.”