Supporting SA Harvest in tackling food insecurity

When South Africans sit down to a meal, they have many to thank for the food on their plates, from farmers and distributors to retailers - and transporters.

DSV has been part of the food supply chain for years, delivering everything from red meat and chicken to avocados and grapes.

More recently, though, DSV has become part of a different kind of food programme, supporting SA Harvest, an NPO that sources and delivers nutritious food to organizations from early childhood development centers and old age homes to food distributors and orphanages.

It's a huge task and one where the impact is significant. According to Statistics South Africa, nearly 20% of South African households don't have access to enough food. SA Harvest says 27% of children under five years of age suffer from malnutrition, which can negatively impact growth, development, and cognitive function. Additionally, 23% of children live in severe food poverty, which can result in lifelong consequences. 

SA Harvest began operating in 2019 and has committed itself to eradicating malnutrition in children. It has delivered nearly 80 million meals to more than 200 beneficiary organizations since then, which means more than 20 million kilograms of food that would have gone to landfill has been redirected to hungry people.

In collaboration with the Road Freight Association, SA Harvest has gained access to logistics partners - including DSV - to expand its reach and ensure food reaches communities in need, even in remote locations or when cold storages capacity is exceeded. 

To date, DSV has transported 14,000 kilograms of food, including 6.560 kilograms through the South African Rugby Legends Association, with whom DSV has a long-standing relationship.

Eugene Vermaak, Project Director at DSV Road, explained that assistance is provided upon request, depending on DSV's available capacity at the time. He emphasised the importance of timing, as the window between food collection and delivery is limited due to its short shelf life.

"DSV's contribution has helped us achieve our goals," says Ozzy Nel, COO of SA Harvest. "Their generosity and expertise enable us to reach more communities and provide nutritious food to those who need it most. We are grateful for this partnership and look forward to continuing our work together."

DSV has played a role in several SA Harvest initiatives, including: 

• Rugby Legends: A 4-ton truck was utilized to transport dry goods from Kings Park Stadium in Durban to beneficiary locations in December 2024.
• East Coast Radio campaign: An 8-ton truck delivered food from Kings Park Stadium to Majomela, Nongoma, in December 2024.
• Missionvale Care Centre project: DSV used one of its 4-ton trucks with a tail lift to transport butternut from Habata, a leading South African supplier of fresh fruit and vegetables, to Missionvale Care Centre in Port Elizabeth. The project started in mid-December and will run for three months.
• #BucketsOfNutrition campaign: This Mandela Month campaign, conducted in Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town, was extended to Port Elizabeth with DSV's support to aid communities affected by floods.
• Sweet potato distribution: DSV collaborated with SA Harvest's partners to transport surplus sweet potatoes to 182 community-based organizations across four provinces. DSV's role was to ensure deliveries to SA Harvest's Johannesburg and Durban branches, where over 11,000 meals were provided in Johannesburg and nearly 26,000 meals in Durban.