By Rirhandzu Marivate, Programmes Manager at SA Urban Food and Farming Trust (SAUFFT), BSc (Hons) Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Development and Planning (Food Systems), MPhil Candidate in Sustainable Development (Food Systems) As South African cities continue to grow, I find myself returning to an increasingly urgent question: What does a just,Continue reading “People as Infrastructure: Why Urban Land Use Must Be Reimagined Through the Lens of Food”
Tag Archives: food
Cultivating Change: Sibulele Plaatjie’s Story of Persistence and Possibility
In the heart of Langa, Sibulele Plaatjie is redefining what farming looks like for young women in her community. Raised in a single-parent household in Langa, Sibu knew she needed a way to generate income, and she wanted to do it in a way that aligned with her desire to live healthier. Growing her ownContinue reading “Cultivating Change: Sibulele Plaatjie’s Story of Persistence and Possibility”
New Voices, Shared Vision: Meet the Trustees Guiding SAUFFT Forward
One of the key highlights of this year was welcoming three new trustees to the SA Urban Food & Farming Trust: Miles Kubheka, Hadijah Nankanja and Nonhlanhla Taylor. Each brings not only expertise but also a deep personal commitment to community resilience, food justice, and the power of grassroots action. Their arrival has infused theContinue reading “New Voices, Shared Vision: Meet the Trustees Guiding SAUFFT Forward”
Decentralising Resilience: What the Langa Agrihub Reveals About the Future of Climate Adaptation
The publication of Sustaining Urban Food Gardens for Community Resilience: A Case Study of the Langa Agrihub arrives at a critical moment, one in which compounding risks, cascading systemic failures, and escalating climate uncertainty are reshaping how societies must think about resilience. As global policy debates continue to centre technocratic, expert-driven models of risk governance,Continue reading “Decentralising Resilience: What the Langa Agrihub Reveals About the Future of Climate Adaptation”
Langa’s Journey Toward a Community-Led Food Council Begins
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 aContinue reading “Langa’s Journey Toward a Community-Led Food Council Begins”
SAUFFT Programmes Manager, Rirhandzu Marivate, at the Africa Food Systems Forum in Senegal
In early September, Rirhandzu Marivate, Programmes Manager at SAUFFT, attended the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Dakar, Senegal, one of the continent’s largest and most influential gatherings dedicated to shaping a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food future. The forum brought together more than 6,000 delegates from across Africa, including governments, farmers, entrepreneurs, researchers,Continue reading “SAUFFT Programmes Manager, Rirhandzu Marivate, at the Africa Food Systems Forum in Senegal”
Bellville Market Activation Day: Reimagining Informal Food Economies
Urban food systems are shaped not just by policies and infrastructure, but by the hands and hustle of everyday traders who feed our cities. To truly understand these systems and support them meaningfully, we must look beyond permits and plans and pay attention to the lived realities of those working on the ground. This wasContinue reading “Bellville Market Activation Day: Reimagining Informal Food Economies”
Empowering Urban Farmers Through Wellness and Indigenous Knowledge: The EESI Programme’s Impact in Khayelitsha
A year-long programme aimed at improving the health, well-being, and economic resilience of urban farmers in Khayelitsha showed promising results. The Environmental Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation (EESI) initiative, which ran from April 2024 to March 2025, brought together over two dozen participants, primarily women and backyard farmers, to reimagine nutrition, biodiversity, and entrepreneurship through targetedContinue reading “Empowering Urban Farmers Through Wellness and Indigenous Knowledge: The EESI Programme’s Impact in Khayelitsha”
Celebrating Growth and Achievement: The Fourth GrowSA Graduation
The fourth graduation ceremony of the GrowSA Learnership Programme marked a momentous occasion, celebrating the achievements of a dedicated group of individuals who have completed their journey of learning, mentorship, and skill development. This milestone not only honours their hard work but also highlights the impact of GrowSA in equipping changemakers within South Africa’s grassrootsContinue reading “Celebrating Growth and Achievement: The Fourth GrowSA Graduation “
SA Urban Food & Farming Trust 