Tsakani – Plenty Green Africa, a Tsakani-based community food garden, has been named among the top 10 finalists in the inaugural Shoprite Act for Change Food Garden Competition.
From Bolla Tau in Mpumalanga to Gonubie in the Eastern Cape, nearly 600 entries poured in from community food gardens across the country
Launched by Shoprite in October 2025, the competition celebrates community gardens that are not only growing food, but also creating opportunity and building resilience.
This recognition places a local grassroots initiative on a national stage – highlighting how communities are tackling hunger, unemployment and food insecurity through practical, community-led solutions.
More than just growing vegetables, the garden is creating skills development opportunities, supporting families in need and building long-term resilience within the community.
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The top 10 finalists represent a diverse range of food gardens, including rural and township gardens, school-based projects, cooperatives and women and youth-led programmes.
Together, the gardens provide thousands of people with access to fresh produce, while creating opportunities for skills development, income generation and environmentally sustainable practices.
“The judging process considered not only agricultural output but also community reach, sustainability, skills transfer and social impact,” said Sanjeev Raghubir, chief sustainability officer at the Shoprite Group.
“The top 10 gardens exemplify these criteria, showing how community-led programmes can ensure access to healthy, nutritious food.”
Plenty Green Africa is a youth-led garden where the phrase “reap what you sow” isn’t just a saying, it’s a daily reality.
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Serving around 20 households, including women, youth, and local chefs, the garden encourages participants to harvest what they planted themselves while improving access to fresh, nutritious food and tackling youth unemployment in Tsakani.
Underused urban spaces are transformed into community hubs and the garden provides fresh produce, skills training, and various volunteering opportunities.
The other finalists are A Spring of Hope Community Eco Hub, Acornfield (Mpumalanga), ACFS Khunadi Food Garden, Mogoto Village (Limpopo), Agrinode Garden, Bela-Bela (Limpopo), Bafepi Mix Farming and Project, Mahlogo village (Limpopo), Food Security Project, Gonubie (Eastern Cape), Hope Park Children’s Health Campus Garden, Krugersdorp (Gauteng), Ngxanga School Garden, Libode (Eastern Cape), P Agricultural Group, Soweto (Gauteng), and SMU Community Garden, Ga-Rankuwa (Gauteng).
A diverse panel of guest judges, including agricultural entrepreneur Masimbonge Vuma, gardening advocate Mosa Seshoene, urban farming pioneer Ncumisa Mkabile and comedian and broadcaster Angel Campey, will now work on selecting six finalists from the top 10 gardens.
The winning gardens will be announced on March 10 at a special awards ceremony in Cape Town and will receive prizes valued at R1m, tailored to their specific needs to help them grow, expand their reach and sustain their impact over time.
“Through the Act for Change Food Garden Project, we are reinforcing our long-term commitment to sustainable interventions that help communities thrive,” concluded Raghubir.
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