South Africa’s record-breaking 2026 maize harvest, forecasted at 17.69 million tonnes, presents a unique opportunity to combat hunger. However, without proper food-rescue systems and infrastructure, much of this surplus could go to waste. Organisations like SA Harvest and the Lingham Foundation are stepping up to ensure surplus food reaches vulnerable communities.
The scale of food waste in South Africa
According to the CSIR (2021), South Africa wastes approximately 10.3 million tonnes of food annually. A significant portion of this is recoverable and could be redirected to feed millions. The 2026 maize harvest, part of a total summer crop yield of 21.85 million tonnes, underscores the urgent need for scalable food-rescue solutions.
SA Harvest: A model for food rescue
SA Harvest has been at the forefront of food rescue since 2019, recovering surplus food from producers and retailers. Their model includes warehousing, cold storage, and transport logistics to deliver food to vetted community organisations. To date, they have enabled over 125 million meals.
Eastern cape success story
In the Eastern Cape, the iThemba Kuluntu community centre, supported by the Lingham Foundation, showcases the impact of food-rescue partnerships. This centre includes a greenhouse, childcare programmes, and skills training, serving thousands of vulnerable households.
Funding Impact
A grant from the Lingham Foundation in January 2025 enabled SA Harvest to provide approximately 684,422 meals at a cost of R1.20 per meal. This demonstrates the efficiency and scalability of their model.
Leadership and Advocacy
SA Harvest’s participation in the One Young World Summit highlights their commitment to building international partnerships and training emerging leaders in food security.
