SA Harvest expands greenhouse network to support local food systems

Community gardener Luyanda Mapeyi at Tehillah in Cape Town | image supplied

The facilities use Fresh Life Produce’s African Grower vertical hybrid-hydroponic system, allowing communities to grow vegetables on limited land. Each greenhouse is co-located with an Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre to integrate nutrition and education into local food programmes.

Cape Town Pilot

The first greenhouse at Tehillah Community Collaborative in Elsie’s River has been used to track nutritional outcomes and support local engagement. Ozzy Nel, COO of SA Harvest, said the project provides a model for linking food production with early education.

Missionvale, Gqeberha

The Missionvale Care Centre greenhouse delivers fresh vegetables to patients while providing training in vertical farming to local youth. Linda van Oudheusden of Missionvale Care Centre noted that the project supports both nutrition and skills development.

Pondoland, Eastern Cape

The third greenhouse at iThemba Kuluntu includes solar and water systems to support operations in a remote area. More than 40 women have been trained as early childhood practitioners. The site will serve as SA Harvest’s feeding partner in the region.

The greenhouses complement SA Harvest’s broader work distributing surplus food through a network of community partners. Since 2019, the organisation has distributed over 94 million meals and prevented more than 38,000 tonnes of CO₂e emissions.

The initiative demonstrates a practical approach to integrating local food production with nutrition, education, and community development.