Media Library
Stories
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY COMMEMORATES WORLD FOOD DAY AND INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ERADICATION OF POVERTY
South Africa continues to face insistent challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality. This translates to vulnerable communities, households and individuals, resulting in hunger and unsustainable livelihoods with poor standards of living. The month of October, marking Social Development Month led by the Department of Social Development to which the National Development Agency (NDA) reports to, seeks to review and strengthen social and development intervention programmes that mitigate these challenges.
This week, the NDA is commemorating the United Nation’s World Food Day and International Day for the Eradication of Poverty – days that speak directly to the Agency’s mandate to contribute towards the eradication of poverty in the country. Key to the commemorations is to showcase the role of civil society organisations (CSOs) in leading programmes that benefit communities through harnessing their skills and creating jobs. On the other hand, aligned to the NDA’s turnaround, is the recognition and importance of collaborative partnerships between government, private sector and CSOs to yield results towards progressive rural economic activities.
World Food Day 2025, 16th October, is themed "Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future" emphasises the need for collaboration and collective action across various sectors and generations to build peaceful, sustainable, and food-secure world systems. In alignment, an NDA funded programme, Tshilimagana Agricultural Cooperative in Vhembe District of Limpopo, has focused on crop farming since 2010 and has now diversified to incorporate livestock farming after receiving grant funding from the Agency. To date the Cooperative has created 64 permanent jobs and during planting and harvesting season, the numbers go up to over 100. The project supplies Tiger Brands with tomatoes to produce All Joy Tomato Sauce.
The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, 17th October, is an annual reminder that ending poverty is not only about income, but about dignity, justice, and belonging. In 2025, the Day focuses on a powerful theme: Ending social and institutional maltreatment by ensuring respect and effective support for families. A partnership with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in South Africa, validates the power of collaborative partnership to fulfilling rural enterprises such as Ivutomi Agricultural and Poultry Primary Cooperative in Tzaneen Limpopo, where operational capacity has been increased through provision of funds to build a dam/reservoir for water storage and irrigation to collect water from the nearby river, installing electricity, building an office, perimeter fencing, buying agriculture inputs and implements. The Cooperative is also hosting 24 students from a nearby TVET college and providing them with the much-needed practical skills in agriculture.
“Poverty and food insecurity are inseparable. Across the country we are engaged in interventions, through civil society organisations, that deliver skills development, job opportunities and capacity building training that strengthen CSOs with not only governance issues, but also ensuring that they create sustainable livelihoods for their communities. These two cooperatives are a clear example of what communities can achieve when they take charge of their own development”, says Ms Susan Khumalo, Chief Operations Officer.
Khumalo further says that poverty statistics remain high, however, this can be overcome if the public, private and CSO sector strengthen collaborations by pooling resources targeted at poverty eradication interventions.
END
ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
Media enquiries can be directed to Lesego Ranchu on lesegor@nda.org.za / 073 547 2800.