Filling bellies with food: the impact of coordinating food relief in the Western Cape during Covid-19
This is the story of how partnering makes the water supply system in the Western Cape more resilient. The Western Cape water supply system provides water to over four million people across sectors and municipalities. Relationships are critical for effective decision-making and management of this system so the Economic Development Partnership supports the City of Cape Town to convene strategic engagements with water users and authorities. The purpose of these engagements is to galvanise joint action that creates a more resilient water system.
Suggested citation: Economic Development Partnership. 2025. Water for all: enhancing water resilience through relationships: a case study. Available: https://wcedp.co.za/impact-water-user-platform
A looming crisis needing a coordinated response
At the start of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed and deepened food insecurity across Cape Town and the Western Cape. National lockdown measures devastated livelihoods, especially among informal traders, seasonal workers and small-scale food producers. Government systems were sluggish in responding, grappling with the uncertainty and overwhelming demand for support across sectors such as education and health. Gaps in national feeding schemes further exacerbated hunger.
At the height of the crisis, demand for food aid far exceeded what was available. Facing seemingly insurmountable odds, civil society was ready to be mobilised. But without coordination, efforts risked duplication, inefficiency and unequitable food access.
Convening a network of diverse stakeholders working on the same problem in different places
The Economic Development Partnership (EDP) recognised this urgent need for coordination in the face of widespread food insecurity. Under its mandate as an independent, not-for-profit intermediary organisation focused on partnering solutions for complex socio-economic issues proactive, the EDP convened the virtual NGO-Government Food Relief Forum.
This network brought together large and small NGOs, faith-based organisations, community kitchens, grassroots networks, government officials and intermediary organisations with the objective of coordinating the ongoing diverse responses to food relief.
The Forum focused on practical coordination, information sharing and relationship-building between organisations working to address rising food insecurity on the ground. Discussions were action-oriented and non-hierarchical, enabling rapid problem-solving and trust-building.
The Forum’s approach evolved across four phases:
- Rapid coordination and support
- Data collection and mapping
- Addressing the shifting context
- Exploring long-term food system resilience
Throughout, the Forum enabled the creation of critical tools such as a food distribution website, civil society data dashboards and best-practice operational guidance.
Adopting an adaptive and collaborative governance framework allowed the Forum the agility needed to coordinate diverse stakeholders working in different places to address the same problem.
Getting food into kitchens, onto plates, and into bellies
The Forum had a significant impact on food relief efforts in the Western Cape. Civil society organisations collectively delivered over 5.2 million ‘people days’ of food aid – an unprecedented mobilisation during a public emergency. More than 200 NGOs participated in the forum, forming new partnerships and aligning with public sector efforts through regular engagement.
The Forum became a crucial hub for learning-sharing and coordination. It improved efficiency, reduced duplication and helped NGOs understand regulatory shifts and logistics. It also catalysed innovation through the distribution of digital food vouchers and localised procurement through community kitchens and community recovery programmes.
Feedback from participants highlighted the impact:
- 85% of NGOs connected with new partners
- 78% reported a better understanding of government processes
- 83% adapted their own operations based on Forum insights
- 93% wished to continue cross-sector collaboration post-crisis
The Forum demonstrated how a virtual network strengthen networks of stakeholders for collaborative action and grow the capabilities of systems actors to see and work within the systems they find themselves in. When coordinated and convened correctly, networks allow stakeholders to experiment with collaborative models of mobilisation and adaptive governance frameworks. This agility makes networks effective vehicles for local change.
From food aid to food systems change
As the pandemic wore on, the emergency response evolved and the Forum started focusing on its place in the broader food system; this meant understanding how to address long-term food security.
Forum members identified key actions for community-led recovery post-pandemic. These included supporting local food gardens, encouraging entrepreneurship, ensuring freedom for informal markets and access to health and nutrition resources.
The Forum also sparked a shift in thinking about government–civil society relationships. The EDP’s network model, demonstrated by the Forum, moved beyond tokenistic consultation to meaningful co-planning and co-implementation. It illustrates how the public sector can be more enabling of grassroots solutions and informal actors, in times of crisis and calm.
Going forward
The NGO-Government Food Relief Forum demonstrated the power of partnering for impact in a time of crisis. This Forum also shows us the potential of networks of diverse stakeholders when they are effectively convened around a common goal and agenda. The network enabled effective, equitable emergency food relief while building the foundation for longer-term systems change. Its legacy lies in the trust built, the innovations tested and the relationships that continue to shape the food system across the Western Cape.
Contact Wellbeing & Safety programme lead Rushka Ely to collaborate on similar projects.