Food producers, Tiger Brands, RCL Foods, and Danone, in partnership with FoodForward SA, OneFarm Share and Do More Foundation, have collaborated to support young learners and households suffering hunger in the community of Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, with daily nutritious meals.
This intervention follows a recent national news report indicating learners in the Bushbuckridge community were taking turns eating at home as their families struggle to feed them.
In 2021, a Statistics South Africa report found that 3,7-million households in South Africa did not have access to adequate nutritious food. More than 600 000 households with children aged five years or younger reported experiencing hunger increasing their risk of acute malnutrition and stunting which affects physical and cognitive development.
The food sector partners, through on-the-ground implementation partner, FoodForward SA, will distribute nutritious food items, including rice, samp, lentils, sugar beans, soya mince, maize, pilchards, bread, yoghurt and cooking oil amongst others, to help feed more than 2,500 people in Bushbuckridge five days a week for the next six months. Following this period, FoodForward SA will implement a long-term solution to support the community’s ongoing nutritional needs.
“This collaborative effort between South Africa’s leading competing food manufacturers is truly inspiring and groundbreaking. Their willingness to unite for a common cause demonstrates not only the strength of our food system but also the shared compassion and responsibility that each of you holds toward creating a more food-secure nation,” says Khamil Hiraman, National Operations Manager at FoodForward SA.
Tiger Brands said the food producer was devastated to read of the dire circumstances faced by young children and their families in Bushbuckridge. “We are proud to work with others in the industry who, like us, have food security and the health and wellbeing of communities at the heart of their business so that we create a high-impact and speedy intervention for those affected in Bushbuckridge,” says Maanda Milubi, Acting Director External Affairs.
“As a business whose mission it is to provide health through food to as many people as possible, it was heartbreaking to read this article, and we were driven to act by offering relief and support. We encourage other others to work with us to make a difference in any way they can as everything counts in the fight against hunger. We are also extremely grateful that our social progress work with FoodForward SA offers an incredible ecosystem to access partners working together to unlock food insecurity. This collaboration is a testament to the power of collective action in addressing hunger and malnutrition,” says Marlinie Kotiah, General Secretary Director of Danone South Africa.
“The situation in Bushbuckridge requires us to act with urgency and collaborate thoughtfully. This intervention is an example of effective impact that can be created when stakeholders from industry and civil society come together. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity has become more visible across South Africa, and while this response offers vital emergency relief, it should also help advance sustainable, long-term solutions that include government and local stakeholders,” says Dr Jessica Ronaasen, Advocacy and Innovation Lead, Do More Foundation.
“We believe that tragedies like these create urgency to address the deep-rooted challenge of food insecurity in South Africa. This is not simply a matter of food availability, it’s a crisis grounded in structural inequality, fragmented food systems, and the absence of effective food security coordination. While short-term interventions may provide immediate relief, we need structured collaboration and coordination between sector role players to dismantle the systemic barriers to food security. OneFarm Share is proud to stand alongside these partners, playing an active role in building a more equitable and resilient food system, where no South African goes hungry.” says Grant Jacobs, Co-founder and CEO of HelloChoice.
