SA Harvest Raises R1.4 Million to Support Ongoing Food Relief for Vulnerable Families in Nelson Mandela Bay
Cape Town, South Africa, December 2025 – SA Harvest has raised approximately R1.4 million through its 2025 Buckets of Nutrition festive season campaign, supporting ongoing food relief efforts for vulnerable families in Nelson Mandela Bay and surrounding communities in the Eastern Cape.
Now in its third year, the Buckets of Nutrition campaign responds to heightened food insecurity during the December school holiday period, when thousands of children temporarily lose access to daily meals provided through the National School Nutrition Programme. The Eastern Cape remains one of South Africa’s most food-insecure provinces, with children among those most affected.
Through partnerships with established community organisations running holiday feeding programmes, SA Harvest has reached approximately 1,400 families to date. Each food bucket, valued at around R1,000, contains essential staples and basic household items designed to support families during a period of increased vulnerability and reduced household income.
“The festive season places additional pressure on families who are already struggling to put food on the table,” said Ozzy Nel, CEO of SA Harvest. “This campaign allows us to support trusted community partners who are feeding children and families at a time when school meals are not available.”
Nel said SA Harvest’s approach focuses on strengthening existing community-based feeding initiatives rather than duplicating efforts.
“Our role is to work with organisations that understand their communities and know where the need is greatest,” he said. “That allows food to reach families efficiently, with dignity and accountability.”
Food insecurity in the Eastern Cape is shaped by high unemployment, rising food costs and long-standing structural inequality. During the festive season, these pressures are compounded as household expenses increase and informal income opportunities decline. For many children, community feeding programmes become the primary source of daily nutrition during this period.
SA Harvest continues to support these programmes at scale through food rescue and redistribution, working with producers, retailers and logistics partners to divert surplus food to communities in need. Distribution is conducted through registered partner organisations, with verification and accountability processes in place.
While the campaign has already made a significant impact, SA Harvest has confirmed that Buckets of Nutrition is an ongoing initiative, with further food distributions planned into early 2026, subject to continued public support.
The campaign has received national visibility through media coverage, including editorial support from Daily Maverick, which has helped to highlight festive-season hunger and child malnutrition in Nelson Mandela Bay and the broader Eastern Cape.
SA Harvest has called on businesses, individuals, foundations and civil-society partners who are able to contribute to support the campaign, noting that demand for food assistance continues well beyond the festive season.
