SA Harvest isn’t just growing vegetables; it’s cultivating an enduring legacy of change. By establishing three greenhouses in Cape Town, Gqeberha, and the rural Eastern Cape, the organisation has forged a model of systemic sustainability that delivers fresh nutrition, education, and vibrant economic opportunity right into the heart of local communities.
South Africa (30 September 2025) – From supporting chronically ill patients and training women to become early childhood practitioners to nurturing growing minds, SA Harvest is making a positive difference all over the country – a change that is rooted in systemic sustainability, which integrates nutrition, life-long learning and community-driven opportunities.
Through the completion of SA Harvest’s three greenhouses in Cape Town, Gqeberha, and rural Eastern Cape, the organisation has made a significant milestone in its long-term strategy to build a climate-resilient, community-driven food system.
Launched as part of SA Harvest’s mission to move beyond food rescue and tackle the root causes of hunger, the greenhouse initiative demonstrates how localised production can foster food sovereignty in structurally food-insecure communities.
The greenhouses use a special growing system from Fresh Life Produce’s African Grower vertical hybrid-hydroponic growing system, which lets people grow their own vegetables even in small spaces, helping them become more self-sufficient.
Taking the concept a step further, each SA Harvest’s greenhouse is placed next to an Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre. This helps improve nutrition for children, adds learning about healthy food, and encourages the community to take part.
Tehillah Community Collaborative’s ECD Greenhouse
Take the pilot site at Tehillah Community Collaborative’s ECD in Elsie’s River, Cape Town, for example; it has flourished since its inception.
“This project has been characterised by abundant harvest, community engagement, and data-led impact tracking, demonstrating what’s possible when infrastructure and dignity align,” says Ozzy Nel, COO of SA Harvest.
“It’s a proof of concept for how food production can be embedded in early learning and long-term development.”
Missionvale Care Centre Greenhouse
The second greenhouse, completed in partnership with Missionvale Care Centre in Gqeberha, extends this model into the Eastern Cape.
Missionvale has been a key beneficiary since July 2024, preparing meals and distributing food with SA Harvest. The greenhouse at Missionvale has since become a valuable case study in adaptive design, and lessons learned have shaped improvements to future builds, including enhanced climate resilience features.
Commenting on how the greenhouse has impacted the community, Missionvale Care Centre’s Linda van Oudheusden says the greenhouse has had an immediate impact on 50 chronically ill patients who now receive fresh vegetables essential for taking their medication.
“You can’t take treatment on an empty stomach. Beyond that, we’ve trained seven unemployed youth in vertical farming, a skill they’ll carry for life, and we hope to grow the project into a sustainable income stream for the centre. In these tough economic times, it’s vital that we are part of the solution. Our enormous gratitude to SA Harvest and the SA Growers Association for this initiative, which has included specialised training for all our people. It’s an incredible journey with SA Harvest that is making a positive difference all over the country.”
“This initiative isn’t just about growing food — it’s about building systems that endure disruption,” says Nel.
What began in Cape Town is now evolving into a nationally relevant model of resilience.
iThemba Kuluntu Greenhouse
That evolution continues with SA Harvest’s third greenhouse at iThemba Kuluntu, a grassroots organisation in Pondoland led by community leaders TJ and Anke Hannemann.
Through SA Harvest’s long-standing relationship with FNB, iThemba Kuluntu now hosts a fully equipped ECD centre where more than 40 women have been trained as early childhood practitioners.
Additional funding from The Lingham Foundation will also enable the building of a new community centre, further embedding local development.
iThemba Kuluntu will also serve as SA Harvest’s official feeding partner in the Pondoland region.
Greenhouses that offer nutrition, learning and long-term change
Nel adds that what sets these greenhouses apart isn’t just the fresh produce they deliver but the learning they enable.
“We’re helping young people understand the value of nutrition and where their food comes from, laying the foundation for long-term change.
“At iThemba Kuluntu, for example, we’ve added solar and water tanks to power the ECD centre in an area that’s extremely remote. And we’ve learnt a lot along the way; for example, rather than utilising traditional tunnel structures for the greenhouses, we designed them with a pitched steel frame to harvest rainwater and a polycarbonate roof that’s incredibly durable.”
These projects are part of SA Harvest’s broader mission to transform South Africa’s food system from a fragmented supply chain of waste and hunger to a regenerative, circular model that works for both people and planet.
By rescuing surplus food and distributing it through a tech-enabled logistics network to over 240 vetted community partners at no cost, SA Harvest is proving that food security is not a charitable act, but a systems challenge with a systems solution.
by 