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Riding Shotgun on the Road to Rescue

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The Long Road to Justice

Before the sun warms the Cape Town skyline, a yellow SA Harvest truck hums to life. Behind the wheel is Odwa, one of the organisation’s dedicated food-rescue drivers. His weekly route is a ten-hour round trip to Morester Farms and Graaff Fruit, where tons of fresh produce would otherwise go to waste.

Portrait of Odwa, an SA Harvest driver, holding rescued produce. He travels across South Africa collecting surplus food from farms and ensuring it reaches communities in need instead of going to waste.

Each week, Odwa and two fellow drivers clock hundreds of kilometres to recover perfectly edible fruit and vegetables. Their mission is simple but urgent: to turn surplus into sustenance for the millions of South Africans who face hunger every day.

What Food Rescue Looks Like in Motion

Stacks of rescued food, including fresh produce and staple goods, neatly organised in SA Harvest’s warehouse — ready to be distributed to community organisations across South Africa.
The end result of every kilometre driven: nutritious food rescued, sorted, and ready to nourish families across South Africa. This is where waste becomes hope, and logistics become love in action.

Why This Work Matters

South Africa discards roughly 10 million tons of food every year, while 18 million people go hungry. SA Harvest’s drivers close that gap. Their tenacity transforms what could be waste into meals, kilometres into impact, and logistics into justice.

They are the quiet heartbeat of a national movement to end food waste and hunger – one rescue run at a time.

Infographic illustrating SA Harvest’s circular food rescue system with three icons representing circularity, efficient logistics, and empathy in action — highlighting how every kilometre helps turn surplus food into nourishment for communities in need.

Help Us Go the Distance

You can shorten the road between excess and need. Your support keeps our trucks on the road, our warehouses open, and our commitment to zero hunger alive.

💛 Donate surplus now

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