New app transforms food relief transparency in South Africa

IN AN attempt to root out corruption in the food aid industry in South Africa, SA Harvest on Monday announced a groundbreaking smart vetting system to ensure food aid reaches legitimate, active community-based organisations (CBOs) around the country.

- ASHLEY LECHMΑΝ

In the form of an App, it was developed in partnership with Garnish Global.

The tech-enabled system brings realtime tracking, digital verification, and fraud detection into the informal food economy.

SA Harvest supports over 300 beneficiary organisations in Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town.

The organisation said that this new system sets a precedent for transparency and impact in food relief efforts, positioning SA Harvest as a key driver of systematic change.

COO of SA Harvest, Ozzy Nel, said, "Food is our starting point, our currency, but our real work is about enabling systematic change. This vetting system gives us visibility into the lives, challenges and strengths of our CВО partners. We're building trust, collecting data and becoming a conduit for others to invest meaningfully in community development."

SA Harvest said it aims to address the perceived fragmentation of South Africa's informal food economy, where many feeding schemes operate without official documentation, registration or safety oversight.

The new vetting system introduces structure without exclusion, allowing CBOs to remain accessible while ensuring traceability, transparency and impact.