Today, in collaboration with Food Agency Cape Town (FACT), we hosted the first Langa Food Council Workshop at Guga S’thebe in Langa.
The gathering brought together a vibrant mix of voices, from urban farmers and informal traders to community kitchens, youth leaders, artists, educators, and local organisations, united by a shared commitment to building a just and sustainable food system in Langa.
The Langa Food Council forms part of the broader AfriFOODlinks initiative, a multi-city project across Africa and Europe working to make urban food systems more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient. In Cape Town, ICLEI Africa serves as the main convenor, with the SA Urban Food & Farming Trust (SAUFFT) as one of AfriFOODlinks’ implementing partners, supporting local food actors to lead the change they want to see.
Over the past year, SAUFFT’s work in Langa, including piloting market upgrades, has showcased the community’s strength, creativity, and resilience. The Food Council builds on this foundation, creating a citizen-led platform for residents to reflect, strategise, and take collective action to improve their local food environment.
Today’s session marked the beginning of that journey, a space for dialogue, imagination, and connection. Participants explored what food means to them, how it moves through Langa, and how they can organise to ensure that decisions about food are driven by the people who live and work there.
Key questions emerged that will be used to guide the formulation of the forum:
How can land for food growing become more accessible?
How can everyone in Langa access nutritious, affordable food?
How can research and data strengthen community-led policy advocacy?
How can we reclaim and celebrate indigenous food traditions?
How do we ensure that all voices are heard as the Council takes shape?
As Rirhandzu Marivate, SAUFFT’s Programmes Manager, reflected:
“This is a step towards bringing a unified voice to all those who care about food in Langa, without interference from the government, because it’s important for people to feel that they have the power to make choices about the food they would like to see on their plates.”
This is just the beginning. The Langa Food Council will continue to grow through inclusive, community-led engagements, building trust, strengthening networks, and laying the foundation for long-term participatory food governance in the township.
SA Urban Food & Farming Trust 