In South Africa, where nearly a quarter of young children live in severe food poverty, Unilever Foods and its Knorrox brand are taking action. In partnership with the Department of Basic Education (DBE), Knorrox has launched a national Food Handlers Training Programme designed to improve the quality, safety, and taste of meals served through the National School Nutrition Programme.
At a handover event at Sekampaneng Primary School in the Tshwane North District, Unilever and Knorrox unveiled a revamped school kitchen worth R100,000 — a symbol of their commitment to nutritious, dignified meals for learners.
Between August and September 2025, the initiative trained 70 food handlers from 35 schools and distributed educational material to 234 more, impacting over 31,500 learners and supporting the preparation of more than 252,000 meals. The training focused on boosting both culinary and nutritional knowledge — covering dietary guidelines, essential micronutrients such as iron and zinc, and techniques to improve flavour and presentation using Knorrox stock cubes, powders, and soya mince.
According to Stanley Ndlovu, Chief Director for Care and Support at the DBE, the programme recognises the vital role food handlers play in the education ecosystem.
“Their work sustains one of South Africa’s largest social protection programmes. This training gives them the skills and confidence to make every meal a building block for learning and development.”
For Nandi Nkosi, a food handler at Sekampaneng Primary, the change has been personal:
“I feel empowered and motivated to keep experimenting with healthy, tasty meals. The new kitchen and training have inspired me to bring joy to the children through food.”
Reflecting on the impact, Thobeka Goba, Marketing Lead for Knorrox, said the initiative aligns with Knorrox’s “We Give a Bull” campaign — an ongoing effort to use food as a force for connection and empowerment.
“Healthy children are the foundation of a thriving society. By training food handlers, we’re equipping everyday heroes with tools to transform lives — one meal at a time.”
As South Africa marks Nutrition Month and World Food Day, Knorrox and Unilever’s collaboration with the DBE stands as a testament to how shared responsibility between business and government can drive real, lasting change in school nutrition and child development.
