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PepsiCo South Africa (SA) reaffirmed its goal of fighting hunger and building food security today; through a community outreach programme and a school visit in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. The visit, in conjunction with long-standing partner Meals on Wheels Community Services South Africa NPO, highlighted the company’s on-the-ground and year-round social impact efforts aimed at supporting vulnerable communities with dignity and purpose.

This is part of PepsiCo SA’s broader social nutrition strategy, which includes pre-school and primary school feeding programmes, community-based partnerships, disaster relief, and employee volunteering, based on its belief that tackling hunger requires sustained and collaborative action.

According to the most recent Food and Nutrition Security Survey, conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), food insecurity affects 63.5% of households in South Africa – 17.5% of them severely.

According to Nico Moloto, Director of Corporate Affairs at PepsiCo South Africa, children can’t perform to their full potential if they attend school on an empty stomach: “School feeding programmes don’t only address the issues of hunger, they also serve as an incentive for school attendance and drive improved performance for the learners”.

This belief is solidified in a study conducted by the Human Appetite Research Unit at the University of Leeds in the UK, which found that children who ate breakfast (specifically within the confines of a school feeding programme) received the following benefits:  

1. They had better math and reading scores 

2. They were less likely to miss a class 

3. Their problems with discipline decreased 

One of PepsiCo SA’s flagship initiatives is its Schools Breakfast Nutrition Programme, which is conducted in partnership with the Department of Basic Education.  The programme, which is in its tenth year, currently serves 37,000 primary school learners with a nutritious breakfast meal every school day of the year– a critical intervention that complements government efforts.

An additional programme operates under the HOPE Worldwide Banner, where together with the Dischem Foundation and other private sector donors, PepsiCo SA’s Future Life brand sponsors 3.6 million meals a year of nutritious instant maize (Unity meal) to Early Childhood Development Centres in South Africa

“Food insecurity can’t be solved in a day, but every action counts, especially when it’s part of a long-term strategy. Our programmes are designed to work in partnership with communities, NGOs and government to provide real support, from classrooms to community kitchens,” explains Moloto and adds: “We specifically target communities and schools in underserved areas close to our production facilities. This creates opportunities for our employees to engage with individuals in need within their communities, as well as minimizing distribution costs for us, so that we can afford to feed more individuals” adds Moloto.

“At PepsiCo, we believe our global scale must translate into local impact. Through the PepsiCo Foundation and the company’s on-the-ground programs here in South Africa, we’re working to build a future where no child starts their day hungry,” said Devendri Adari, Social Impact Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa, at the PepsiCo Foundation. “Our vision for social impact is rooted in listening to communities, partnering for progress and applying our collective resources—our people, our products and our social impact efforts—to address systemic challenges like food insecurity”

PepsiCo SA’s social impact portfolio under the food security and nutritional pillar includes:

• Strategic partnerships with the likes of Meals on Wheels, FoodForward SA, and Hope Worldwide to expand food access in underserved communities
• The Schools Breakfast Nutrition Programme, helping ensure children can start their day with the nutrition they need to thrive
• Ongoing employee volunteerism, where our associates support local distribution centres, food kitchens, and outreach drives (and their efforts are enhanced with funding by the PepsiCo Foundation)
• Coordinated disaster relief efforts, providing food assistance during emergencies and climate-related crises across the country

To honour World Volunteer Month in April, PepsiCo SA partnered with Food Forward SA, whereby employees were invited to volunteer their time to pack food packages to communities. More than 100 employees volunteered their time and almost 215 thousand meals were served across KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Free State.

These initiatives reflect PepsiCo’s vision of a more sustainable, inclusive food system – one where access to nutrition is a right, not a privilege.