Win a Jimny for a Life-Saving Cause

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has launched Cars4Good 2026 – a national fundraising and awareness campaign designed not only to support rescue readiness, but to help South Africans better understand how drowning prevention works long before an emergency ever happens.

At the centre of the 2026 campaign are four themed Suzuki Jimnys travelling across the country, visiting communities, events and public spaces to spark conversations about water safety and rescue.

While the NSRI responds to emergencies around the country every summer, the organisation emphasises that many incidents are preventable through awareness, education and safer behaviour around water. Cars4Good 2026 was created to open that conversation to the public in a new and engaging way.

A Launch Rooted in Purpose

For NSRI Business Development Manager Dirk Coetzee, the campaign’s launch reflected something deeper than a fundraising initiative.

“What stood out most for me was how grounded and human the launch felt. This wasn’t a glossy marketing moment. It was a moment of alignment around purpose,” he says.

“Standing in a working NSRI base, surrounded by volunteer crew, vessels and equipment, made it very real. The vehicles became a way to show South Africans what goes into saving lives, and how much of that work actually happens before an emergency ever occurs.”

Coetzee explains that Cars4Good is not designed as a once-off campaign, but as a long-term platform to build understanding and participation.

“This campaign can’t only be about fundraising. It has to drive awareness, education and conversation. Every rescue statistic represents a family, a community, and a moment where preparation and prevention could change an outcome.”

A Partnership Built on Shared Intent

Cars4Good 2026 is made possible through a national partnership with Suzuki Auto South Africa, whose Jimny has become the public face of the campaign as it travels the country.

“Suzuki Auto South Africa felt like a natural fit because this partnership was never about logos or exposure - it was about shared intent,” says Coetzee. “Suzuki has a long-standing culture of practicality, trust and building things that serve real people in real environments.”

The Jimny, he believes, mirrors the NSRI’s approach to saving lives.

“It represents capability without ego. It’s dependable, approachable and quietly courageous, much like the work the NSRI does every day.”

He adds that the vehicle also plays a powerful communication role.

“When people see a Jimny, they smile – and that opens the door to conversations about water safety, rescue and drowning prevention. Those conversations are where awareness turns into action.”

Telling the Full NSRI Story

Each touring Jimny is wrapped to highlight a different pillar of the NSRI’s work – from whale disentanglement and offshore sea rescue to lifeguarding and drowning prevention education.

“The NSRI is often seen through a single lens: rescue at sea. But our work is much broader,” Coetzee says. “By giving each Jimny a clear theme, we’re showing the full ecosystem of how lives are saved.”

The vehicles allow the organisation to meet people where they already are – at events, shopping centres and community gatherings – and invite them into the mission.

“It helps people understand that rescue is only one part of the story. Education, prevention, innovation and conservation all work together.”

Why Suzuki Stepped Forward

For Suzuki Brand Marketing Manager Brendon Carpenter, the partnership reflects a natural alignment between brand values and lifesaving work.

“The Cars4Good competition presented the ideal opportunity for Suzuki to partner, not only with a well-established competition, but with a well-loved and supported organisation that does incredibly important work that literally changes and saves people's lives,” he says.

He adds that while supporting the Cars4Good competition is a key part of the partnership, what excites Suzuki most is the chance to stay closely involved with NSRI’s work and keep using its products for good.

Taking the Campaign to the Public

Public activations form a central part of Cars4Good. Through events, QR codes on the vehicles and conversations with volunteers, the campaign invites South Africans to move from observers to participants.

“Not everyone will ever need rescue, but everyone benefits from safer water practices,” says Coetzee. “If we want a water-safe nation, we need millions of small moments of engagement. This campaign is designed to create exactly that.”

Every ticket sold directly supports the NSRI’s life-saving work across South Africa. The funds help equip rescue vessels and volunteer crews who respond to emergencies at sea, support lifeguards protecting busy beaches, enable survival swimming and water-safety education for children in underserved communities, and even assist specialised animal rescue operations such as whale disentanglement. Cars4Good is therefore more than a competition  it allows the public to actively participate in saving lives and preventing drownings before they occur.

Tickets cost R695 and include entry into four prize draws throughout the year, with only 45,000 available. Participants stand a chance to win one of four brand-new Suzuki Jimny 5-door vehicles, separate from the touring campaign vehicles, while directly supporting the NSRI’s life-saving work across South Africa.

Entries can be made online via the Cars4Good campaign platform or by scanning the QR codes displayed on the touring Jimny vehicles.