South Africa faces critical food security challenges, affecting around 13.8 million people due to poverty, unemployment, inequality, and limited access to nutritious food. Climate change further pressures food production, worsening hunger across the country. During recent site visits, we met with six charities — three of them were focused on hunger and malnutrition, particularly among children, in South Africa.

Despite their efforts, gaps remain, emphasizing the importance of international grants to fund agricultural, nutrition, and social programs. These initiatives are essential to South Africa’s progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger, contributing to development and long-term stability. We’re excited to share more about each organization we met with, their impact, and CAF America’s role in supporting their efforts below:

FoodForward South Africa

FoodForward South Africa, a nonprofit based in Cape Town, addresses food insecurity and malnutrition by safely and affordably sourcing quality food for vulnerable communities. The organization focuses on recovering edible surplus food across the food system and redistributing it to vulnerable communities across South Africa. The organization operates in all nine provinces of the country, with rapid expansion driven by increased household food insecurity brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and crippling, disruptive power outages implemented by electricity providers. Their efforts are critical in a country where nearly half of the 60 million person population faces some form of food insecurity.

During our visit, we had the opportunity to visit the organization’s main headquarters and warehouse in Cape Town to learn more about the organization’s ongoing operations and future plans. Their key programs include:

• Warehouse Foodbanking: Their largest program, facilitating monthly pickups for each of the 2,500 beneficiary organizations they support.
• FoodShare Digital Program: Virtually connects beneficiary organizations to retail stores for surplus food collection.
• Mother and Child Nutrition Program: A targeted initiative addressing specific nutritional needs, particularly supported by recent funding from PepsiCo.
• Youth Employment and Disaster Relief: Though not primary focuses, they provide internships for youth and aid in disaster relief efforts when necessary.

CAF America donors have supported FoodForward SA with over $915,000 in grants. During the COVID-19 lockdown, grants helped scale operations to combat food insecurity, distributing millions of kilograms of food to hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries daily. The organization’s programs now serve over 920,000 people each day through thousands of partner organizations. Last year, FoodForward SA provided meals to 5,000 flood victims daily, distributing 270 tons of food and offering valuable disaster relief insights.

In the past year, FoodForward SA provided over 87 million meals at a low cost-per-meal of $0.02 cents. Their beneficiaries include early childhood centers, community kitchens, healthcare facilities, and care for the elderly, as well as providing immediate support in emergency situations.

Despite these successes, they face challenges in reaching rural areas and ensuring worker safety amid community protests, compounded by rising food costs. Grants enabled food distribution to 920,000 individuals through 2,500 organizations, focusing on vulnerable groups, enhancing health, and reducing food waste. FoodForward SA plans to scale further, including its Mother and Child Nutrition Program to reach one million beneficiaries daily and expand its digital platform to include more retail stores and quick service restaurants across South Africa. Their innovative approach and commitment make them pivotal in South Africa’s fight against hunger, aiming to support the SDG of Zero Hunger.

Generosity For Humanity

Generosity For Humanity, a nonprofit working across various areas in the Cape Flats of Cape Town, aims to create an empowered and vibrant community. Supported by local and international philanthropic groups, it addresses food insecurity and poverty. Its key programs include feeding schemes, urban farming, youth activities, and disaster management support. The feeding programs and urban farms are particularly advanced, with urban farms providing fresh produce for the feeding schemes. The youth program offers various activities and classes, while disaster management supports unemployed volunteers and elderly beneficiaries.

Despite challenges, urban farms and feeding schemes by the organization have positively impacted the communities they serve. CAF America funds supported equipment for their central kitchen, which provided 87,000+ hot meals and grew 10,000 seedlings in the first half of 2022. Supporting vulnerable groups, grants supported projects improving nutrition, fostered community relationships, and taught agricultural skills. Operating 11 kitchens feeding 250-350 people each, they ensured meal distribution during crises. Initiatives include a feeding scheme program, two urban garden projects, training and development, and disaster relief efforts. They also run youth programs that promote emotional well-being and crime prevention.

The organization has served to date in excess of 650,000 hot meals and 120,000+ breakfast porridges, conducted youth programs, provided agricultural training, upskilled cooks, and offered various support services. Future plans focus on program efficiency, enhancing compliance and sanitation, increasing volunteer involvement, and improving U.S. fundraising efforts to sustain and expand their impact on food security. Critical funding is required to sustain all the various programs and to support the sustainability of the work.

Rise Against Hunger Africa

Rise Against Hunger Africa is making remarkable strides in addressing hunger and malnutrition among children in South Africa. Their efforts focus on transforming Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDs) by providing nutritious meals, which not only help the children thrive, but also enable these centers to reinvest savings into their operations. The organization currently supports over 500 ECDs, with plans to reach 700 in the near future. In 2023, Rise Against Hunger South Africa served 22,000+ children under the age of six by packing over six million meals. Their programs impact a broad community across eight provinces, benefitting over 150,000 individuals in 2023.

During our visit, we had the opportunity to visit a number of the beneficiary ECDs that receive support from Rise Against Hunger SA, with the CEO Brian Nell. We visited four ECDs, including Little Angels ECD, Place of Hope, Siyakhula Preschool, and Morning Star ECD. The organization’s programs are multifaceted and combine nutrition with education to amplify the impact. In addition, Nell shared a few notable achievements with us, including:

1. A new partnership with KFC’s Add Hope, which will provide 2.5 million meals and fixed funding of nine million ZAR.
2. A three-year partnership with the Comrades Marathon to further bolster their efforts.

Nell also noted several challenges for Rise Against Hunger SA, including the need for expansion capital, limited long-term funding, rising costs, and increased demand. Complex corporate due diligence processes also can add administrative burdens, complicating long-term funding efforts.

Despite these challenges, the organization continues to address child hunger and malnutrition through strategic partnerships, innovative programs, and community engagement. They are committed to linking education and nutrition, laying the groundwork for sustainable development in ECD centers and promising a brighter future for South Africa’s vulnerable children.

Learnings from Grantees:

Key Takeaways on Supporting Those with Food Insecurity

The grantee partners we visited have discovered many key learning outcomes from the use of CAF America grants they will apply to their future endeavors, including:

1. Ensuring Resource Allocation Is Efficient: Ensuring efficient resource allocation is crucial for charitable organizations, especially when funding is not guaranteed. Efficiency in fund utilization allows these organizations to maximize their impact and serve more beneficiaries with limited resources. By demonstrating a high level of efficiency, such as FoodForward SA’s low cost-per-meal, organizations can build trust with potential donors and increase their chances of receiving future grants. Ultimately, adept resource management ensures that every charitable fund donated translates into tangible benefits for those in need.

2. Building and Maintaining Strong Partnerships: Building and maintaining strong relationships with beneficiary organizations and food supply chain partners is essential. They succeed in doing this through clear communication, compliance monitoring, and patience. In addition, other lessons learned include focusing on community engagement and building good relationships with funders through transparency. Finally, diversified funding sources and timely information gathering enhance funding proposals.

3. Targeted Support: It is important to identify and focus on the most vulnerable groups — such as orphans, malnourished children, pregnant women, victims of gender-based violence, the elderly, disabled individuals, the homeless, and the unemployed — to ensure that efforts make a significant difference in the lives of those who needed it most.

Charitable organizations in South Africa are making a profound impact by addressing critical issues like food insecurity. Through innovative programs, strategic partnerships, and relentless dedication, these charities are making significant strides in improving the lives of the most vulnerable populations. Despite challenges, their successes emphasize the importance of strong partnerships, clear communication, servant leadership, and good governance for nonprofits to have the most successful impact.