Six Community Food Gardens Win Shoprite Act For Change Awards
Six Community Food Gardens Win Shoprite Act For Change Awards. Six community food gardens from across South Africa have been recognised in the Shoprite Act For Change Food Garden Competition, an initiative supporting projects that strengthen food security and local food systems.
Launched in October 2025, the competition received nearly 600 entries nationwide. Following a multi-stage judging process, six gardens were selected based on their food production, management, and measurable impact in their communities.
ACFS Khunadi Food Garden in Mogoto Village, Limpopo, took first place, praised for its strong representation of women in leadership and youth participation. The garden supplies fresh vegetables to local feeding programmes and provides small-scale farming training, directly benefiting around 50 people each month.
Second place went to Ngxanga School Garden in Libode, Eastern Cape, which combines food production with hands-on learning for 243 learners and supports five households through agroecology training and food donations. P Agricultural Group in Soweto, Gauteng, secured third place, recognised for hosting farmers’ markets and distributing vegetables to more than 150 families annually.
Other winners included Hope Park Children’s Health Campus Garden in Krugersdorp (fourth place), supporting 350 learners and 27 households; the Food Security Project in Gonubie, Eastern Cape (fifth place), empowering 162 women with organic farming skills; and Plenty Green Africa in Tsakane, Gauteng (sixth place), a youth-led initiative transforming urban spaces into productive gardens.
Together, the six gardens produced more than 106,000kg of fresh produce in 2025, while also helping participants develop agricultural skills and generate income through surplus sales.
The winners will share R1 million in tailored support, with funding allocated according to placement. Assistance may include equipment, infrastructure such as irrigation systems, and training.
“The strong response to the competition showed just how much dedicated work is happening in communities across South Africa,” said Sanjeev Raghubir, Chief Sustainability Officer at Shoprite. “These resources are intended to help the gardens take their projects to the next level and make an even greater impact.”
