South Africa’s future food and environmental champions are sprouting not in corporate boardrooms or labs, but in the soil of school gardens across the country.
The EduPlant Programme, South Africa’s premier school greening and food nutrition initiative presented by Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA) in partnership with Tiger Brands, has announced its 2025 National Competition winners. More than 300 schools from across all nine provinces took part in this two-year journey, proving that sustainability, learning, and nourishment can indeed grow side by side.
A Harvest of Champions
This year’s national title for the best food garden went to Molefe Mooke Primary School from Gauteng — a shining example of what happens when environmental literacy and community spirit come together. Dilopye Pre-Vocational School, also from Gauteng, walked away with first place in the National Centre of Excellence category, honouring EduPlant alumni schools that mentor new participants and pass on their green knowledge.
Runners-up included Nkabini Primary School (KwaZulu-Natal) and Toronto Primary School (Limpopo) in the National Award category, while Nobanda Primary School (KZN) and Alabama Primary School (North West) took second and third place respectively in the Centre of Excellence awards.
In total, R221 000 in cash prizes was shared among the top schools to expand their gardens and strengthen their feeding programmes.
From Classrooms to Living Laboratories
Now in its 28th year, EduPlant has evolved into a national movement that integrates permaculture, sustainability, and nutrition education into the school experience. Through hands-on training, schools learn to grow vegetables, fruit, and herbs that feed their learners and surrounding communities.
For many participants, this work goes beyond the garden fence. The produce supplements the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), improves learner concentration, and fosters a deeper respect for the environment. Surplus crops are often shared with nearby families, creating a cycle of giving that strengthens community bonds.
“EduPlant’s focus on sustainability, environmental ethics and food security matches our vision of resilient, food-secure and healthy communities,” said Maanda Milubi, Director of Transformation and Enterprise Supplier Development at Tiger Brands. “A hungry mind cannot learn well — and this programme empowers learners to take charge of their own nutrition.”
A Growing Legacy
Chris Wild, Executive Director of Food & Trees for Africa, believes EduPlant’s greatest impact lies beyond what’s harvested. “While food security and nutrition are at the core of EduPlant, it’s more than that. We see learners becoming leaders — developing teamwork, communication, and confidence that will serve them for life.”
For many of the children, attending the in-person national awards at Konka Tours in Rustenburg was their first time travelling outside their hometowns. The two-day camp was filled with skill-sharing sessions, drumming circles, and tree-planting activities — turning the awards into an unforgettable learning experience.
Cultivating a Greener South Africa
EduPlant’s reach extends across every province, with provincial champions leading by example:
Eastern Cape: Jamangile Senior Secondary School
Free State: Dr MG Mngoma Public School
Gauteng: Philip Kushlick Special School
KwaZulu-Natal: Kwa Ngubeni Primary School
Limpopo: Moriting Primary School
Mpumalanga: Mahushe Agricultural School
North West: Temoso Special School
Northern Cape: Simololang Primary School
Western Cape: Rouxville Primary School
These schools represent a generation of young South Africans who are redefining what education looks like — where the garden becomes a classroom, and every seed planted is a lesson in self-reliance, responsibility, and hope.
As Robyn Hills, FTFA’s Head of Programmes, summed it up, “Their gardens are living classrooms — nurturing not only plants, but the minds and hearts of the learners involved.”
