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Every year, more than 10 million tonnes of food is lost or wasted in South Africa before it reaches the plates of consumers. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Food ‘waste’ should be repurposed for the poor

An NPO is working with government departments and Nedlac to change South Africa’s food donations policy

Granat soup from Sierra Leone

In praise of African comfort food

Five correspondents for ‘The Continent’ celebrate their favourite traditional dishes from across Africa. One thing these diverse meals have in common is not what they taste like…

Kneaded: Justin Lagesse, who manages the Glenwood Bakery, keeps the food simple and classic. Photos: Rogan Ward

Artisanal bakery in Glenwood has everything your soul kneads

Adam Robinson’s 24- to 36-hour slow-fermented acts of love have cemented Glenwood’s reputation for loaves that are among the finest in Durban

Fine food: ‘Blackouts and Boerewors’ serves up more than wors, such as the mega steak roll with peppercorn sauce

Viva the basic bro of braaiing

A new recipe book, ‘Blackouts and Boerewors’, is fire, if you’re inclined towards the complex

HelloChoice collects food from Tshwane market that would end up in a landfill. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

Tonnes of food thrown away – but nonprofits rescue it for the hungry

SA Harvest and OneFarm Share are collecting food that would have gone to landfill and redistributing it to vulnerable people

Consumers are angry that the government is treating them like a cash cow instead of fighting corruption and improving its fiscal discipline. File photo by Dwayne Senior/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Who protects us from rising prices?

In the wake of a food affordability crisis, prices at retail level are not controlled and the government is at arm’s length

Motivated: Farmers such as Angus Williamson work in a brutal environment but they carry on because they love what they do

Farm to fork: Factors fuelling food price hikes

Farmers have been hard hit by everything from load-shedding to transport costs and supermarkets say they have not passed the costs of running generators on to battling consumers

Feast: ‘Seven colour’ Sunday lunches are now a thing of the past for many households because of rising food prices.

No more seven-colour Sundays

Thembisile Mthembu tells her story of how she grew up on seven colours but all she can afford is a two-colour Sunday meal

Maeve Commins regularly shops around for fresh food at discounted prices and freezes it to save money every month. Photo: Lyse Comins

Middle income consumers chase food bargains

The poor are assisted by taxpayers, the rich don’t feel it, but the middle class slips through through the gap in tough economic times

Breaking point: Maria Khoza used to buy a bundle of spinach for R12 but now she pays R25 and has to break the spinach into smaller bundles priced at R10 because her customers cannot afford R30. (Lesego Chepape/M&G)

Hawkers in dire straits

The livelihoods of people selling produce are being threatened by the high food prices

Bargain: Prices at the Durban Fresh Produce Market are about two to three times lower than those bought at retailers such as Woolworths, Spar, Pick n Pay and Checkers. (Rogan Ward)

Pick n Pay, Woolworths and Checkers charge up to 300% more for fresh produce

Fresh produce markets in cities around the country provide people with a cheaper shopping alternative, but not many cash-strapped households are aware of the benefits of cutting…

The “Use by date” indicates the end of the estimated period for the product’s best quality, after which the product may lose some of its quality attributes. (Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Best before versus use by: understanding food safety labels

Confusion over sell-by, use-by, best before and expiry dates among consumers drives food waste

How South Africa’s major retailers are reducing food waste

Woolworths donates surplus food to 890 local charities across South Africa, every day

Ampersand Mixtape 7: Food and feasting

This mixtape, packed with tasty tunes from around the world, will titillate your palate and ears with music about veggies, fish and stews, as well as fruit, dessert and cake.…