Entrepreneur and gamechanger Vika Shipalana has joined the board of SA Harvest, the food rescue, hunger relief and food activist organisation that has delivered an average of 645 000 meals per month to those in need since its inception in October 2019.
Vika brings a wealth of marketing experience and a considerable network to SA Harvest. Her career in sales, trade marketing, and brand marketing spans 19 years, and her desire to contribute towards a culture and society where luxury brands and services from Africa are valued and appreciated all over the world, gave birth to her luxury consultancy, VS Luxury Group (Pty) Ltd in 2018.
Commenting on her appointment to the board, Vika says, “I was born in rural Eastern Cape, the second poorest province in the country, and grew up in Bisho. I’m no stranger to poverty or suffering. I’ve witnessed the need first hand, and often wished that I could do something to help on a large scale. SA Harvest is making a real impact on hunger in South Africa, and I’m excited to be part of expanding its impact even further.”
A firm believer in the growth and development of Africa and her people, Vika makes a valuable addition to the board of SA Harvest. She is the third woman to be appointed to the board, bringing greater diversity of ideas and thought to an organisation that has a steadfast philosophy of innovation based in technology and entrepreneurship.
Of diversity at board level, Vika says, “It is critical for a successful leadership team to embrace diversity. Women bring a different perspective, which is even more relevant in the context of an organisation that provides hunger relief, as nurturing is inherent in a woman’s genetic makeup.”
Vika believes that it is her duty to help others grow themselves and their businesses for future success. She hopes to bring significant value to SA Harvest by enabling connections to potential corporate partners who share SA Harvest’s belief that an end to hunger is possible. Through its model of food rescue, hunger relief, technology, and systemic change, SA Harvest is on a mission to disrupt the food ecosystem and put an end to the need for charity. In the 31 months since its inception, SA Harvest has delivered the equivalent of 20 million meals by rescuing 6 million kilograms of food from going to waste. The organisation has over 200 vetted beneficiaries and warehouses in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
Commenting on Vika’s appointment to the board of SA Harvest, chairman Gidon Novick says, “We are incredibly fortunate to have Vika join the board. Her experience in life and in work and her deep desire to help others are perfectly aligned with SA Harvest’s mission to end hunger in South Africa”.
As a mother to two girls, Ntsako (14) and Jodie (10), and wife to Bonnke Shipalana, Vika believes in leading a balanced lifestyle where one is able to prioritise self, in order to be of greater love and service to others. She enjoys teaching and mentoring young women on the importance of putting God first, taking care of self (spiritually and physically) and prioritising family above all else. Vika prays that her life is a living example to others and hopes to leave a lasting legacy for the children of Africa and future generations.
