From 25 to 29 November 2024, partners across Africa and Europe will convene in Cape Town for the second in-person AfriFOODlinks consortium meeting. This gathering will bring together a diverse group of nearly 100 stakeholders, including 15 Youth Ambassadors, 18 city officials, representatives from 10 sharing cities, and three Mayors.
AfriFOODlinks and SAUFFT’s role in it
Launched in December 2022, AfriFOODlinks is a project co-developed by a network of leading African researchers and implementers, bringing together 26 partners to address some of the most pressing challenges in Africa’s urban food systems. Spanning over 65 cities, the project works to improve food security and sustainability by connecting diverse actors, fostering innovative solutions, and empowering local communities.
The project operates around four key objectives:
- Promoting healthy, sustainable diets through a systemic urban food lens.
- Transforming urban food environments through practical, real-world experiments.
- Empowering communities, small businesses, and public officials through inclusive governance.
- Accelerating women- and youth-led agri-food enterprises to boost economic participation and innovation.
SAUFFT’s role in AfriFOODlinks is to facilitate dialogues, share stories, and implement practical interventions in informal food environments. Events like Food Dialogues and Food Indaba provide spaces for discussions on food sustainability, engaging urban farmers, policymakers, and communities.
In addition to these conversations, SAUFFT works to transform informal markets in Langa and Bellville, collaborating with traders and stakeholders to improve infrastructure, enhance food safety, and create more inclusive and sustainable market spaces, while supporting innovative participatory and integrated approaches for local government to implement food-sensitive planning and urban design.
Consortium week
The consortium meeting will provide a dynamic platform for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and strategic planning. Participants will engage in field visits, workshops, and panel discussions, focusing on reshaping urban food systems while forging stronger partnerships across cities.
Representing SAUFFT at the consortium are CEO Kurt Ackermann, Programmes Manager Rirhandzu Marivate, Programme Assistant Nailah Furnival, Food Indaba and Food Dialogues Lead Iain Harris, and Storyteller Thandi Mancoba.
At the consortium, Kurt and Iain will lead a session unpacking lessons from the inaugural Food Dialogues events hosted this year across Africa, exploring opportunities for integration across cities. Rirhandzu will contribute to critical discussions on socio-technical experiments in urban food environments, while Thandi, alongside Gareth Haysom from the African Centre for Cities, will deliver a masterclass on ethnographic storytelling, showcasing how people-centred community narratives can drive impactful change.
Follow SAUFFT on social media for live updates, stories, and behind-the-scenes insights throughout the week.
AfriFOODlinks is funded by the European Union and coordinated by ICLEI Africa.
SA Urban Food & Farming Trust 