Community food gardens from across South Africa, Namibia and Botswana were showcased during Shoprite and Checkers’ annual Market Day, held to coincide with World Hunger Day. The event gave local growers a platform to sell fresh produce directly to consumers and gain valuable retail experience.
By Maile Matsimela, digital editor at African Farming
The initiative forms part of the Shoprite Group’s Act For Change programme, which supports hundreds of community food gardens across Southern Africa through training, infrastructure support and market access opportunities. This year’s event showcased almost 60 community gardens at selected Shoprite and Checkers stores.
Customers were able to buy a variety of locally grown produce, including spinach, peppers, herbs and other fresh vegetables, while also engaging directly with the growers behind the products.
Also read: Here are the winners of the inaugural Shoprite Act for Change Food Garden competition
Market Day Creates Opportunities for Growers
Shoprite Group chief sustainability officer Sanjeev Raghubir said the programme goes beyond food production by helping community growers develop the skills needed to participate in formal retail markets.
“The Act For Change Community Food Gardens programme currently supports 319 gardens by providing agricultural resources and enabling market access,” said Raghubir. “Through initiatives such as Market Day, participants are also exposed to key aspects of commercial retail, including pricing, quality standards, merchandising, customer engagement, volume planning and operational discipline.”
More Than a Place to Sell Produce
One of the participating projects was the Dirang Batswana Greenery Project in North West, which has grown from four members in 2012 to supporting 150 household gardens and a soup kitchen that feeds about 300 children.
Project member Seipati Tlhong said Market Day helps shift perceptions about community gardeners.
“Being there on that day says ‘we are producers, not just beneficiaries’; that shift matters for how we see ourselves,” she said. “Seeing people choose our produce over commercial brands reminds me that our labour has real value.”
Also read: How community food gardens are solving land access barriers for SA women and youth
Partnerships Growing Food Security and Enterprise
In the Western Cape, provincial Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism Dr Ivan Meyer visited Market Days at Shoprite Westgate Mall in Mitchells Plain and Checkers Protea Heights in Brackenfell, where he met participating gardeners and highlighted the importance of partnerships in tackling food insecurity.
“These Market Day initiatives demonstrate how collaboration can create meaningful opportunities for local communities,” said Dr Meyer. “By supporting community food gardens, we are not only improving food security but also enabling economic participation.”
Dr Meyer said initiatives such as Act For Change align with the Western Cape government’s objective of promoting entrepreneurship and inclusive economic growth.
“Programmes such as Act For Change play a vital role in supporting emerging entrepreneurs, especially at the grassroots level, by providing the tools, skills and market access needed to build viable enterprises,” he said.
Among the Western Cape projects showcased were the New World Foundation food garden in Vrygrond and the Jesus in Action Food Garden at Brackenfell Train Station, both of which use agriculture to strengthen food security, skills development and community upliftment.
Pastor Gabriel of Jesus in Action highlighted the impact of the initiative: “This project is not just about growing food – it is about restoring dignity, creating hope and supporting our community with both nutrition and opportunities. Market Day gives us a platform to share our harvest with the public and sustain the work we are doing at the grassroots level.”
As the retailer celebrates the milestone of supporting more than 300 community gardens across Southern Africa, organisers say Market Day continues to show how small-scale agriculture can contribute to household incomes, food security and local economic development.
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Africa’s forgotten crops could be the future of food security
