The People's Pantry

12/03/2026

FOR THE INTEREST AND ATTENTION OF THE TPP COMMUNITY PLEASE:

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is holding national hearings from 12 to 20 March to investigate why millions of people face hunger despite the fact that South Africa actually produces enough food for everyone. The hearings are focusing on systemic failures, corporate control, land issues, fragmented governance, and inadequate social grants, for example the Child Support Grant. The probe will address the paradox of national food sufficiency alongside widespread food insecurity, examining factors from inadequate social protection (such as grants below the poverty line); corporate power in the food system; land reform, and policy gaps, thus violating the constitutional right to food.

At the People's Pantry (TPP) we interviewed ten of the women who participate in our weekly food Swop Shop and invited them to share stories about their daily struggle to put food on the table. We documented these stories and are presenting them at the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) national hearings which begin today.

The TPP team members who conducted the interviews were deeply affected by hearing how these women struggle to make ends meet and how lonely it can feel to face this daily reality. By listening to their stories, we learned that the Swop Shop has become a place of respite—a place where they can access food with dignity, even when they have no money. Around 140 people, mostly women, participate in our Swop Shop every week.

In order to continue to provide support to these women and others in our community we need your ongoing support. We
truly appreciate the wonderful contributions both financially and in kind which we receive from our networks.

Reminder about Tax Benefit

As a registered Public Benefit Organisation (PBO No. 930083681), TPP can issue an 18A tax certificate for any donations received.

03/02/2026

Here is a little video from our Wellness Workshop ...

02/02/2026

Tending to our Health, One Leaf at a Time🪴
By: Keonah Nyembe

Community members who organise and run our two weekly Swop Shops, along with those who prepare food in Makers Valley to share with community members in need, gathered for a beautiful Wellbeing workshop facilitated by the wonderful Claire Rousell.

Claire is an artist, researcher, and activist whose work sits at the vital intersection of food sovereignty and environmental justice- and she shared her deep expertise right into our space. The well-being workshop was part of The People’s Pantry Together at the Table: Food Justice through agency, solidarity and healing programme.

We started the morning with an open exchange. The team shared the diverse ways we tend to our own health- comparing the home remedies and herbal traditions passed down through our families with medicines we find on the shelves and in our gardens.

Claire then led us on a “neighborhood forage”, walking through the Victoria Yards garden to name, identify, and compare the medicinal plants growing all around us. It was a powerful reminder that our urban environment is full of healing potential if we only know where to look.

To put our learning into practice, we foraged fresh plants to create a collective product. Using Comfrey as our star ingredient and blending it with Shea butter, honey, and a few other natural ingredients, we crafted a handmade pain-relieving joint ointment.

Thank you, Claire, for helping us reconnect with land and with our own capacity to heal.

15/01/2026

We are already in gear for a splendid 2026 - beginning with a wonderful delivery from SA Harvest and a generous donation from our benefactor . Our team is also growing with some new and some more experienced members back to serve the Makers Valley community!

23/12/2025

20/08/2025

This retreat offers a gentle approach to writing, whether you want to explore writing your story, or work on a specific writing project.
As writing draws on creativity and authenticity we will focus on play, overcoming writer’s block, finding our voice, and gaining insight into what we want to say.
We explore how mindfulness contributes to developing as a writer and enjoying the writing process.
We will briefly touch on what constitutes ‘good writing’ while also setting aside time for actual writing.

Fund-raising for The People’s Pantry the retreat is offered on a donation basis. Spaces are limited to 20 participants.

Lunch: Optional lunch at 12pm for those who would like to connect before the writing.
To book (or for queries), please contact Moyra: [email protected] Cell: 0721377637
Facilitators: Moyra Keane & Alison Kearney
Address: Victoria Yards, 16 Viljoen Street, Lorentzville

06/06/2025

https://awethu.amandla.mobi/petitions/shoprite-bring-your-food-prices-down

Over the years, many organisations have built public pressure to increase and top up social grants. But even if we get the significant social grant increases we have been demanding, the cost of living will undermine these victories and keep people in poverty. The R370 is hardly enough to travel to a...

03/06/2025

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-06-03-hunger-crisis-report-unpacks-food-poverty-in-sa/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=first_thing

The Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa has launched a report that unpacks the cause of South Africa’s food poverty crisis and looks at legal frameworks to strengthen food security. ‘People are not ignorant about nutrition, rather they are unable to access nutritious food and/or have...

03/06/2025

Union Against Hunger

24/05/2025

Hello People's Pantry community - we have just started a BackaBuddy campaign for our Swop Shop - we hope you will support this innovative programme!

Community Swop Shop - community members without money shop with dignity for the food they need. The People’s Pantry run a twice-weekly community ...

09/05/2025

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-05-08-ending-hunger-a-call-for-legislative-action-on-food-waste-in-south-africa/?dm_source=dm_block_grid&dm_medium=card_link&dm_campaign=main

To be successful in addressing food insecurity and malnutrition in South Africa, the broadest possible consultation will be required across the food system, including with farmers and agri-business food manufacturers, retailers, the non-profit organisation (NPO) sector and, crucially, the government...

15/04/2025

Mark Heywood on LinkedIn posted this: "I am seeing signs of growing convergence around a fight against epidemic hunger in South Africa and for the right to sufficient food.
Last week I attended three very different meetings about the hunger crisis.
First I was privileged to address the monthly General Assembly of Abahlali baseMjondolo in Durban. Abahlali is South Africa's largest and most democratic social movement. The discussion was rich and urgent. Obviously the intersection between landlessness, homelessness, and foodlessness resonated at the level of people's stomachs and lived experience. Abahlali has agreed to join the Union Against Hunger.
Two days later in Johannesburg there was a Hunger Symposium convened by Vuyiswa Ramakgopa, the dynamic MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, to discuss strategies to ensure access to food. It was interesting that amongst the strongest voices calling for control on food prices were white farmers from AgriGauteng who talked about the differences between the prices at which they sell food and the prices on the supermarket shelves. Amongst the MEC's plans are a provincial law criminalising food wastage in Gauteng.
Two days after that a meeting in Cape Town organised by Thuli Madonsela on the right to food, the Constitution and social justice brought together lawyers, academics, researchers and activists and was a vault of relevant information and insight.
Think about this. According to leading food researcher Scott Drimmie, because of food insecurity and hunger "a child born today in South Africa is only going to reach 43% of their potential." Talk about neo-apartheid ...
Watch this space, this anti-hunger movement is growing, is refusing to be siloed and will start to make a difference in 2025."