Organic spring produce grown by over 80 community food gardens across South Africa, Botswana and Namibia was snapped up by shoppers at selected Shoprite and Checkers stores during Market Day on Tuesday, 27 October. The annual project connects community gardeners directly with customers through a curated pop-up retail environment, which provides a platform to sell produce directly to the public while gaining practical retail experience.
All participating Market Day gardens form part of the over 320 community food gardens supported by the Shoprite Group across southern Africa to help strengthen regional food security.
On a practical level, valuable skills are passed on by the retailer to participants, including product presentation, pricing, customer relations, communication and record-keeping; these can significantly strengthen a budding farmer and entrepreneur’s business.
“Market Day is about so much more than the spinach, fresh herbs and the wide variety of farm-fresh seasonal produce that customers can purchase. When shoppers interact with growers in a market setting, it’s not only trading that takes place. This relaxed yet professional exchange is intended to help build confidence among the sellers, while giving buyers an opportunity to connect directly with the people behind the produce.”
– Sanjeev Raghubir, Chief Sustainability Officer at the Group
The role of community food gardens in keeping the nation nourished couldn’t be more vital as the latest statistics from the South African Food Security Index indicate South Africa’s highest level of household hunger since 2010, with 12% of households reported experiencing hunger in 2025. Now in its third year, the South African Food Security Index, commissioned by the Group, measures food security in South Africa by examining food availability, household access to food and dietary diversity.
Participating Market Day Projects
Among the community gardens participating in this year’s Market Day was the Qholaqhwe Garden Project near Phuthadithjaba in the Free State. The project was started to help create local employment of village youth and to grow vegetables for the creche’s feeding scheme, and has been so successful that it has expanded to agroprocessing and agricultural training.
“Watching this garden grow from a small idea into something sustainable has shown me that agriculture can do more than just feed people; it can create jobs and bring a community together. For me, the proudest part is that we are growing people. We are accredited to offer training in crop production, so we can teach practical farming skills that people can use to support themselves.”
– Malebane Minah, Qholaqhwe Garden Project, Managing Director
Beyond Market Day, the Shoprite Group continues to support community food gardens through its Act for Change programme, which has assisted hundreds of gardens with training, seedlings and infrastructure.
In addition, the annual Shoprite Act For Change Food Garden Competition is a national celebration of local gardening heroes, with the second competition now underway. With collective prizes of R1 million in the form of support tailored to each garden’s needs, this competition aims to recognise community food gardens’ contribution to local nutrition, environmental sustainability and community upliftment. Entries are open until 15 November 2027 at actforchangefoodgardencompetition.datafree.co – entry is free and no data costs apply.
“Market Day is a manifestation of an ethos that where vegetables grow, so does hope,” says Raghubir. “We couldn’t be prouder of all the gardeners, whose enthusiasm, dedication and hard work continue to improve lives and livelihoods.”
