South Africa and Scotland dine together for charity

The annual Burns Dinner returns to Cape Town next year in February. The dinner celebrates the life and famous works of Scotland’s most famous poet and writer, Robert Burns, who was born on 25 January in 1759.

Burns Dinners are always held near the poet’s birthday. The first was held at Burns Cottage by Burns’s friends in July 1801 on the fifth anniversary of his death. In addition to being a literary icon, Robert Burns was also a humanitarian who stood for social justice and gender equality.

February’s dinner is expected to break previous events’ attendance records. The night is one of song and dance, Scottish whisky, tartan, and bagpipes. The dinner raises funds for various causes, including a children’s home and a shelter for terminally-ill elderly people in poor communities in Cape Town.

Scot-born Claire Alexander, the director of the event, says, ‘Over the years, Dinner guests have evolved from a purely Scottish crowd to an [international one] … in 2018 [it] welcomed 15 different nationalities … and the evening had a younger feel, with a distinctly Mother City heartbeat. It’s remarkable how one man’s words have created an immortal legacy of kindness and unity.’

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