“One of the biggest reasons for food insecurity is food waste. There is way more food in the value chain than we actually use. A third of all good, healthy food is wasted. This is a global issue that we all need to care about.”
Those opening remarks won a Vaal University of Technology (VUT) student, Ms Tumisho Thobejane, a prize in the Social Impact category of the 5th EDHE Entrepreneurship Intervarsity finals on 1 December 2023. The founder of a food waste reduction company, Foodable, and 4th year Advanced Diploma in Biomedical Technology student won R20 000 in the coveted category.
Ms Thobejane, who grew up in Katlehong on the East Rand in Gauteng, beat out 34 Social Impact contestants (there were 1266 successful entries across all categories) and was one of just nine women in a total of 24 finalists.