The judges are in, and South Africa’s community food gardens are in for a treat. Shoprite has named three guest judges for its second Act For Change Food Garden Competition: radio broadcaster Mmatsheko Mosito, Food For Mzansi co-founder Ivor Price, and homestead food gardener and educator Natasha Van Zyl.
Together, they will help choose five community food gardens to share R1 million in tailored support such as training, garden resources and infrastructure. The support is shaped around what each garden needs, so the good work it does for its community can grow even further.
Entries are open now and close on 15 November 2026. Entry is free, and no data costs apply.
Each judge brings something different to the panel: sustainability, storytelling and hands-on growing know-how. What unites them is a belief that a community food garden grows far more than vegetables.
The storyteller with a purpose
Mmatsheko Mosito hosts The Journal and Planting the Seed on Channel Africa and founded the Agri Women Guild. Her passion for sustainability, regeneration and development means she looks at a garden through two lenses: the livelihoods it supports and the people behind it.
“A successful community food garden needs a clear purpose, committed people, sound growing practices and a realistic understanding of what the community needs,” she says.
Putting growers in the spotlight
Ivor Price co-founded Food For Mzansi, where some of the most powerful stories come straight from community food gardens. Last year’s response to the competition is what drew him in.
“When I saw how many gardens entered last year and the quality of what they were doing, I wanted to be part of it. Being a judge lets me recognise these growers and help put them in front of people who can support them,” says Price.
Knowledge that travels
A hands-on home gardener, Natasha van Zyl has built her career around passing on practical skills. She brings deep knowledge of affordable ways to grow food successfully, and a real joy in watching that knowledge spread.
“What I love most is that the knowledge doesn’t stop at the garden gate. Someone learns how to grow spinach or tomatoes, takes that knowledge home, teaches a neighbour or a child, and suddenly the impact reaches far beyond that one garden. That’s where the real magic happens!” she says.
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More than a harvest
The first competition drew nearly 600 entries, and last year’s winners are already putting their support to work.
- ACFS Khunadi Food Garden in Mogoto Village, Limpopo, took first place and now has a shade-net structure protecting its crops.
- Ngxanga School Garden in Libode, Eastern Cape, came second. A new irrigation system has helped it expand, grow more food and permanently employ three young people from the community.
- P Agricultural Group in Soweto placed third and is changing how young people see farming: as something they can learn from, earn from and be part of.
For Sanjeev Raghubir, chief sustainability officer at the Shoprite Group, the three judges reflect the gardens themselves.
“Just as each community garden has its unique identity and circumstances, so do our three judges, who together form a rich mix of sustainability, storytelling and practical knowledge,” he says.
“Each one brings a unique perspective to the competition, yet they share a common belief that these gardens don’t just grow vegetables; they contribute to food security, economic opportunities and resilience.”
Sanjeev Raghubir
Raghubir sees community gardens as one of the most practical ways to uplift lives across South Africa. They put food on the table, build skills, spark entrepreneurship and bring people closer together.
“A successful community food garden is measured way beyond its harvest,” he adds. “Its deeper value is as a social impact incubator that can nurture multiple generations.”
The competition is part of the Shoprite Group’s wider commitment to food security and sustainable livelihoods. The group has invested in 320 community gardens, which together produced more than 84 500kg of fresh food last year.
Know a garden that deserves the spotlight?
Whether it’s a church plot, a school garden, a co-operative or an informal patch feeding the neighbourhood, now is the time to enter, or to nudge a garden you know to enter.
- Who can enter: All community food gardens that serve a broader community; entrants must be 18 or older.
- Prize: Five gardens share R1 million in tailored support such as training, garden resources and infrastructure.
- Closing date: 15 November 2026
- Cost: Free to enter, with no data costs
- Enter here: actforchangefoodgardencompetition.datafree.co
Winners will be announced before April 2027. The judges can’t wait to meet you.
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