Kellogg’s South Africa has expanded its Better Days Gardens programme to the Eastern Cape, establishing five new school food gardens aimed at reaching approximately 2,400 learners in some of the province’s most food-insecure communities.

The official launch took place on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, at Kama Primary School in Gqeberha — just ahead of World Hunger Day on 28 May — bringing together Kellogg’s South Africa, government representatives, implementing partners, and key stakeholders including the Department of Education.

Why the Eastern Cape? Understanding the Scale of Food Insecurity

Food insecurity in South Africa remains a deeply entrenched challenge. According to Statistics South Africa, approximately 22.2% of households experience inadequate or severely inadequate access to food and the Eastern Cape is among the hardest hit, with more than 30% of households facing food insecurity. It is against this backdrop that Kellogg’s has chosen the Eastern Cape as the next frontier for its community-led food security initiative.

What Is the Better Days Gardens Programme?

The Better Days Gardens programme is part of Kellogg’s broader Better Days Promise — a long-running commitment to combating child hunger across South Africa. Since 2014, the initiative has delivered more than 68 million meals to learners across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

First launched in Gauteng in 2024, the Gardens programme has already supported more than 2,400 learners while promoting nutrition education, agricultural skills development and water-efficient gardening practices.

The Eastern Cape expansion builds on this foundation, shifting the focus from short-term food relief to long-term, community-led food system solutions — equipping communities with the tools to grow, produce and sustain their own food.

Five New School Gardens: What the Programme Delivers

Each of the five new school food gardens will:

• Supply fresh vegetables for school meals, complementing existing school nutrition programmes
• Equip learners and families with practical skills in sustainable food production
• Promote water-efficient gardening techniques suited to local conditions
• Serve as community hubs for nutrition education and agricultural skills development

The programme is implemented in partnership with local stakeholders and community-based organisations, ensuring that schools function not only as learning environments, but as active spaces for food production and community empowerment.

Key Partners Driving Impact on the Ground

The Eastern Cape rollout is being implemented in partnership with Reel Life NPC, a community-based organisation working to strengthen food security in vulnerable communities.

Commenting on the initiative, Dineo Mahasha, Managing Director of Reel Life NPC, said “This project is about creating sustainable access to nutritious food, empowering schools and communities with agricultural skills, and restoring dignity through food security. Many children rely on school feeding programmes as their primary source of daily nutrition, and through this partnership we are helping to strengthen those systems while creating long-term community resilience.”

Kellogg’s Long-Term Vision: Building Resilient Food Systems

Philip Nieman, General Manager at Kellogg’s South Africa, reinforced the company’s broader vision for sustainable impact:

“Hunger is not only about food availability, but also about access, dignity, and long-term opportunity. Our responsibility is to help build systems that ensure communities can sustain themselves long after intervention.”

The Better Days Promise forms a central pillar of Kellogg’s global ESG strategy, which targets reaching 4 billion people by 2030 through improved nutrition and food security.