Winter is settling in across South Africa, and with it comes a sharp rise in pressure on households already struggling to maintain food security. As the cost of living continues to climb, driven in part by fuel increases and persistently high food prices, more families are being forced to stretch limited resources even further. The months ahead are going to be tough. Demand will rise, and pressure on vulnerable households will intensify, but this is also a moment where collective action can make a meaningful difference.

Across the country, food prices remain high due to a combination of economic pressures, including transport costs, energy instability, and broader global and local economic strain. For many households, wages have not kept pace. The result is clear: more people are cutting back on meals, shifting to cheaper and less nutritious food, or going without.

This is not an abstract crisis. It is happening in homes and communities every day.

At FoodForward SA, we are seeing a significant increase in demand as winter approaches. More beneficiary organisations are reaching out for support, and more communities are relying on them to survive. Through our network of over 2,200 organisations across all nine provinces, we reach nearly 900,000 vulnerable people every day. This includes children, the elderly, people with disabilities, the unemployed, and those experiencing homelessness and chronic poverty.

But the need is growing faster than the available food supply.

Why your support matters now

Food donations remain one of the most direct and effective ways to respond to growing food insecurity.

• One tonne of food can provide 4,000 meals
• We recover, collect, sort, and redistribute surplus food efficiently
• Donations help reduce food waste and its environmental impact
• Donors receive a tax certificate for their contribution

Whether it is excess stock, seasonal produce, or production overruns, edible surplus food should not go to waste while communities go without.

If you are a farmer, work in a packhouse, or are part of a food production or retail business, you can make an immediate impact.  At just 0.47c per meal, even small contributions add up to thousands of meals. If you know someone in the food supply chain who may be able to help, now is the time to connect them to us.

The need is real, and it is growing, but so is the opportunity to respond, and now is the time to act. Help strengthen food security for those who need it most. Visit our Take Action page to get involved.