Northern Cape schools in finals for the National EduPlant School Garden Competition 2025

The National EduPlant School Garden Competition 2025 has revealed its 32 national finalists, selected from more than 300 schools that joined the programme at the start of last year. The announcement was made on Wednesday, 1 October, by EduPlant partners Tiger Brands and Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA).

The winners will be crowned at a gala event on Tuesday, 7 October, at Camp Konka in Rustenburg, North West. The ceremony will see the announcement of the top three national winners, two Centres of Excellence schools, and provincial winners from across the country.

EduPlant, South Africa’s premier school nutrition and food security programme, was launched in 1994 and has been supported by Tiger Brands since 2019. Over three decades, it has helped build thousands of school gardens that not only supplement the National School Nutrition Programme but also strengthen communities by instilling environmental awareness and practical life skills in young people.

The 300 participating schools in 2024 underwent extensive training in permaculture practices, equipping them to grow vegetables, fruit, and herbs. The harvests are served in school feeding schemes, while surplus produce is shared with local communities. The 32 schools now named as finalists were chosen for their ability to implement permaculture knowledge into flourishing, sustainable gardens.

“School food gardens are one of the best ways to provide additional meals for students,” said Robyn Hills, Head of Programmes at FTFA. “The extra nutrition from fresh herbs and vegetables significantly improves a student’s ability to concentrate and do better in school. Each of these schools has shown outstanding dedication to the principles of permaculture and sustainability. Their gardens are living classrooms, nurturing both plants and young minds.”

The EduPlant initiative has also had a ripple effect beyond the classroom, with learners and educators transferring their skills to surrounding community members. Many families have since established their own food gardens, ensuring better nutrition and, in some cases, generating small incomes.

Maanda Milubi, Director of Enterprise and Supplier Development & Transformation at Tiger Brands, said the company was proud to support the programme: “The commitment and dedication displayed by the finalist schools to improve food security in a sustainable manner is remarkable. Through EduPlant, we are not only addressing hunger but also building resilience and restoring hope for the future. This reflects our purpose to nourish and nurture more lives every day.”

Now in its 31st year, EduPlant continues to promote food security, environmental literacy, and community building, with its hands-on approach inspiring life-long learning and responsibility towards nature.

Northern Cape Finalist EduPlant 2025

• Segwaneng Primary School
• Moedi Secondary School
• Simololang Primary School

The final 15 winners of the competition will be announced on 7 October.