On April 2, FoodForward SA hosted our annual stakeholder breakfast at the Century City Convention Centre, an occasion dedicated to thanking our donors and sharing the impact of our work across the country. Nearly 100 guests, including donors, our brand ambassadors and sponsors, joined us to celebrate the collective successes of the past year and hear about exciting updates about our ongoing and new initiatives.
Our MC for the morning was Heart FM’s Suga, who is also one of our brand ambassadors and the keynote speaker was Dr. Edzani Mphapuli, the Executive Director of Grow Great.
Dr. Edzani shared key statistics of child stunting in South Africa and highlighted the progress made in our Mother and Child Nutrition Programme, which, in partnership with Grow Great, has made a significant impact in addressing malnutrition across South Africa.
Expanding the Mother and Child Nutrition Programme
Since November 2023, we’ve expanded the programme into the Witzenberg and Breede Valley Municipalities in the Western Cape, providing critical support to 150 underweight pregnant mothers and stunted children. The nutritious food they receive helps them gain weight, preventing the long-term effects of stunting in children.
Dr. Edzani shared some promising results: 80% of children enrolled in the programme are gaining weight, and a comprehensive 6-month review will be available in May.
Nationally, the programme supports 250 clients and their families in the Western and Eastern Cape, and we are excited to grow this much-needed measurable programme. We’re also working closely with our Eastern Cape partners, Philani Maternal Child Health and Nutrition Trust, to ensure even greater impact in the region.
Recognising Our Generous Donors
This year’s breakfast introduced a new initiative – a certificate of appreciation to our top food and financial donors. Woolworths was recognised as our top food donor, while FoodLovers Market received the top financial donor award. FFSA Chairman, Crispin Sonn, presented the certificates, acknowledging the vital role these donors play in our work to reduce food insecurity and malnutrition.
Celebrating Measurable Impact
Andy also shared an overview of our measurable impact for the 2024/2025 financial year. Through our network of 2,519 beneficiary organisations collectively reaching more than 935,000 vulnerable people daily, we were able to recover 20,730 tons of food, equating to 82,928,760 meals, at a cost per meal of just R0.50. By recovering this food, we have managed to avoid an impressive 107,807 tonnes of CO2 emissions, demonstrating that we’re not just addressing food insecurity but also protecting the planet through our work.
Looking Ahead
None of these achievements would be possible without the partnership of our food, financial, and in-kind donors. As we look ahead, we’re excited to scale our programmes and continue our mission of addressing food insecurity.
Thank you to all our partners for making this possible.