From Seedlings to Success: schools cultivate hope at EduPlant Awards
Rustenburg – The vibrant spirit of growth and sustainability took root at Konka Resort on Tuesday, 7 October 2025, as learners, educators, and environmental champions from across South Africa gathered for the long-awaited EduPlant Awards Ceremony — the first since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hosted by Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA) in partnership with Tiger Brands, the event celebrated schools that have turned barren patches into thriving food gardens, transforming classrooms into living laboratories of learning and resilience.
“We are here today to celebrate growth,” said Christopher Wild, executive director of Food & Trees for Africa. “Not just the growth of your garden, but the growth of your knowledge as well.”
Growing Futures from the Ground Up
EduPlant, now in its 28th year, is South Africa’s longest-running food security and environmental education programme. Its mission is simple but powerful — to teach learners how to grow their own food, improve nutrition, and uplift communities through sustainable practices.
Over the past two years, 300 schools were onboarded into the programme, receiving extensive training in permaculture gardening — a holistic method that integrates food production with environmental care. The 32 finalist schools were recognised for their innovation, teamwork, and dedication to food security.
During the two-day celebration, learners presented their gardens, participated in herb workshops, drumming circles, and tree-planting activities, and shared stories of how their gardens nourish both body and soul.
Cultivating Champions
The 2025 EduPlant winners received R221,000 in cash prizes to strengthen their food-growing initiatives and expand their impact.
- National Category: Molefe Mooke Primary School (Gauteng), Nkabini Primary School (KwaZulu-Natal), and Toronto Primary School (Limpopo).
- Centre of Excellence Category: Dilopye Pre-Vocational School (Gauteng), Nobanda Primary School (KZN), and Alabama Primary School (North West).
Provincial Winners:
- Eastern Cape – Jamangile Senior Secondary School
- Free State – Dr MG Mngoma Public School
- Gauteng – Philip Kushlick Special Needs School
- KwaZulu-Natal – Kwa Ngubeni Primary School
- Limpopo – Moriting Primary School
- Mpumalanga – Mahushe Agricultural School
- North West – Temoso Special School
- Northern Cape – Simololang Primary School
- Western Cape – Rouxville Primary School
Nurturing Leaders, Not Just Gardens
For Tiger Brands, EduPlant represents an investment in the future. “A hungry mind cannot learn well,” said Maanda Milubi, director of Transformation and Enterprise Supplier Development at Tiger Brands. “EduPlant’s focus on sustainability and food security aligns with our vision of resilient, food-secure, and healthy communities.”
The initiative also promotes life skills, teamwork, and leadership. Learners who once struggled with hunger now grow their own produce, feed their schools, and share surplus harvests with neighbours — creating a ripple effect of hope.
“We see learners becoming leaders,” added Wild. “They practice communication and teamwork, and they carry these lessons for life.”
Main photo: From left: FTFA executive director Christopher Wild, Free State Department of Education’s Mlungisi Notleku, Molise Phori, and Disebo Hlakoane — all celebrating schools that are growing a greener, hunger-free South Africa.
