Books With Purpose brings a good read and a good cause together at Cavendish Square
Pre-loved books will help raise funds for 14 local charities this September
Book lovers have another reason to make room on their shelves this September as Books With Purpose, Cavendish Square’s annual charity book sale, returns from Thursday 17 to Sunday 20 September 2026.
Taking place on the lower ground and ground levels of the centre, the four-day sale will bring together thousands of pre-loved books and a diverse group of local charities and community organisations, with proceeds from books sold going to various non-profit organisations, all of which do incredible work in their areas of need.
Whether looking for a new novel to disappear into, a great holiday read, books for younger readers or an unexpected second-hand find, shoppers can browse the selection while knowing their purchases will help support valuable work being done in the Cape.
Turning pages into support
Fourteen organisations will participate in this year’s sale: Doing It For The Orphans, Lamberts and Elands Bay Animal Protection Society, St Luke’s Combined Hospices, Nazareth House, Plumpets Animal Shelter, Animal Rescue Organisation, Domestic Animal Rescue Group, TEARS Animal Rescue, SA Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind, Woodside Special Care Centre, Cat Trapping and Sterilisation Network, U-turn Homeless Ministries, Help the Rural Child and Sinako After School Care.
For Cavendish Square, the annual event offers a simple way for the wider community to get behind these organisations. A book that has already been read and enjoyed can find a new home while generating funds to help another cause continue its work.
“There is something very special about seeing our community come together to support so many different causes through something as simple as buying a book,” says Cavendish Square Centre Manager, Faizah Behardien. “We encourage Capetonians to visit the sale, enjoy the experience of finding a great pre-loved read and, importantly, help these organisations continue the valuable work they do.”
More than two decades of giving
The roots of the charity book sale stretch back over 20 years, when Beverley Whelehan first brought charities together and gave them an opportunity to raise funds through the sale of pre-loved books. Her sister, Rosalie Jack, who now manages the book sale, says the enthusiasm of the participating organisations remains at the heart of the event.
“What began with my late sister Beverley over two decades ago has grown into an event that the charities and our supporters genuinely look forward to each year,” says Jack. “There is always such wonderful energy around the sale, and it is incredibly rewarding to see books passed on to new readers while helping the participating organisations raise much-needed funds. We hope Cape Town’s book lovers will once again come out in numbers and support them.”
