Food company PepsiCo South Africa has launched a R12-million initiative, led locally by PepsiCo companies Pioneer Foods and Simba, to provide more than 11-million meals to communities most impacted by the socioeconomic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The #GiveMealsGiveHope initiative will be rolled out in partnership with surplus food charity distributor FoodForward South Africa (SA) and humanitarian movement The South African Red Cross Society, with both organisations being outreach experts, able to access existing food networks to serve meals to those in need.

Pioneer Foods CEO Tertius Carstens says this initiative is in addition to the existing Pioneer Foods school breakfast nutrition programme.

“We believe it is our responsibility to focus our social investment in those areas where it has the biggest impact in alleviating the hunger of our country’s people, on a sustainable basis.”

Simba senior VP and GM John Stevenson explains that food is “at the heart of what PepsiCo does”, and as a company, he thinks the best way Simba can support communities during this difficult time is by working with partners, to bring food to communities and those who need it most.

South African Red Cross acting CEO Mabel Koketso notes that many citizens cannot afford to buy basic groceries during this period, and almost ten-million children who normally rely on school feeding programmes, now find themselves without a daily meal.

The South African Red Cross will use the grant from PepsiCo to cook and provide hot meals or food parcels on a daily basis to beneficiaries housed in temporary shelters, as well as those based in vulnerable communities.

FoodForward SA is looking beyond the lockdown when it believes food insecurity will be the biggest threat facing South Africa for several months to come.

FoodForward SA MD Andy du Plessis confirms that the organisation has been inundated with requests for food support. “The grant from PepsiCo will enable us to distribute over eight-million meals to our most vulnerable beneficiaries which will include, but are not limited to community feeding programmes, school and after-school care and early child development centres.”

In addition, PepsiCo is also enabling employees who want to help in the fight against Covid-19 by offering a two-to-one match for all employee charitable contributions to a group of nonprofit organisations providing Covid-19 relief internationally.