By: Lonwabo Mtyeku | Photo Credit: Supplied
Seen Here: Mrs L. Khuzwayo, Corporate Affairs Head, Illovo Sugar South Africa; Maanda Milubi, Director Enterprise & Supplier Development and Transformation, Tiger Brands; Mr D. Pillay, Principal, Sobantu Secondary Schooll Preeya Naidu, Senior Manager Social Transformation and ESD, Tiger Brands; and Ms N.Ntanzi, Communication and Social Impact Manager, Illovo Sugar South Africa. Photo Credit: Supplied
Leading South African food producer Tiger Brands has partnered with Illovo Sugar South Africa to strengthen educational development and community nutrition support in KwaZulu-Natal through two impactful social investment initiatives aimed at improving the lives of learners, mothers and vulnerable families.
The collaboration will see Tiger Brands providing nutritious weekly meals to more than 90 learners attending Saturday STEM classes at Sobantu High School, while also supplying food hampers to a clinic supported by Illovo’s First 1 000 Days of Life Programme.
The initiative forms part of Illovo Sugar South Africa’s broader STEM education programme, which focuses on empowering young learners through science, technology, engineering and mathematics education — areas increasingly viewed as critical to South Africa’s future economic growth and workforce development.
The nutritional support programme will run for the next 12 months, ensuring learners participating in the Saturday STEM programme receive balanced meals designed to improve concentration, energy and academic performance.
At the same time, food hampers will be distributed to vulnerable mothers and young children through the healthcare initiative, which focuses on improving maternal and child nutrition during the critical first 1 000 days of a child’s development. Maanda Milubi, Director of Enterprise & Supplier Development and Transformation at Tiger Brands, says the partnership highlights the important connection between nutrition, education and long-term community upliftment.
“We understand the important role nutrition plays in learning and development as hunger is one of the greatest barriers in education,” says Milubi.
“By providing meals to learners participating in this programme, we hope to support an environment where students can stay focused, engaged, and inspired to reach their full potential. At the same time, addressing food insecurity in vulnerable communities, we can improve nutrition and livelihoods.”
Milubi adds that many learners participating in the initiative come from disadvantaged communities, making partnerships of this nature critical in creating meaningful opportunities for young people.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has welcomed the initiative, describing it as an important example of how partnerships between the private sector and communities can help advance educational development and social impact.
The programme also aligns with government’s broader focus on STEM education as a strategic priority in tackling youth unemployment, building technical skills and preparing young South Africans for the future economy.
Illovo Sugar South Africa’s STEM Schools Programme has already demonstrated significant success across participating schools in KwaZulu-Natal.
According to programme results, five participating schools achieved a combined matric pass rate of 91.6% in 2024 — outperforming the provincial average of 89.5%.
Of the 443 learners who wrote matric examinations across the participating schools, 406 passed, while the bachelor pass rate increased dramatically to 52.8%, compared to just 24.3% when the programme was first established.
The initiative underscores the growing role corporate South Africa continues to play in supporting education, nutrition and social development while investing in the country’s future workforce.
By combining educational support with nutritional assistance, both Tiger Brands and Illovo Sugar South Africa hope to create sustainable, long-term impact in communities where access to opportunity remains a major challenge.
