Food Lover’s Market's 10th annual Hunger Month campaign is underway, continuing its ambitious nationwide drive aiming to provide 10 million meals in just one month.
Image supplied
The campaign brings together the retailer’s broader ecosystem, including FreshStop, VetsMart, Market Liquors and Food Lover’s Eatery, highlighting the scale at which retail can mobilise support for a national crisis.
Hunger remains a persistent national challenge
The initiative is informed by new insights from FoodForward SA’s State of Household Food Insecurity in South Africa 2026 Report, which underscores the severity and persistence of food insecurity across the country.
The findings reveal that many households are making difficult trade-offs to cope — from reducing portion sizes to skipping meals entirely. While adults often prioritise feeding children, the report shows that these coping mechanisms are not always sufficient, with child hunger remaining widespread.
Retail as a platform for impact
For Food Lover’s Market, Hunger Month is not a standalone campaign, but an extension of an ongoing commitment to food security. Through its long-standing partnership with FoodForward SA, the retailer donates surplus food weekly, ensuring that quality produce reaches communities in need year-round.
Hunger Month builds on this foundation, using the scale and accessibility of retail to drive awareness and participation at a national level.
“Food insecurity is one of the most urgent challenges facing our country today, and it requires a collective response,” says Andrew Millson, head of people and sustainability at Food Lover’s Market.
“Hunger Month allows us to bring together our customers, suppliers and partners in a way that is practical and impactful.”
Turning small contributions into scale
At the core of the campaign is a simple but powerful mechanism: customers can donate a meal at the till for just 47c in-store across all participating brands nationwide.
Through FoodForward SA’s food recovery network, this contribution funds the logistics required to recover, store and distribute surplus food efficiently - turning small individual donations into large-scale impact.
Since its inception, Hunger Month has helped provide more than 21.5 million meals during the month of May alone, demonstrating the cumulative power of consumer participation.
Supplier partnerships drive momentum
The campaign’s reach is further strengthened by long-standing supplier partnerships. Tru-Cape, a key partner for the past decade, continues to play an active role in supporting the initiative.
“As Tru-Cape enters its tenth year of supporting Hunger Month, we are proud to continue helping combat food insecurity in South Africa,” says Roelf Pienaar, managing director of Tru-Cape.
“This campaign has shown what is possible when businesses and communities unite behind a common cause. Yet, the need remains urgent.”
A milestone moment for collective action
As Hunger Month marks its 10th year, the campaign reflects both the scale of the challenge and the potential of coordinated action across the retail value chain; from suppliers and logistics partners to consumers at the point of purchase.
By leveraging its national footprint, Food Lover’s Market is positioning retail not just as a commercial platform, but as a mechanism for social impact.
Looking ahead
With a target of 10 million meals, this year’s campaign sets a new benchmark for what can be achieved through collective participation.
For South African consumers, the call to action is clear: a small contribution at the till can translate into meaningful change for families facing daily food insecurity.
As the campaign continues throughout May, it reinforces a simple truth — when retail scale meets community action, real impact becomes possible.
