Brief
South Africa’s food‑waste problem shifts focus to supply‑chain losses
A CSIR study shows two‑thirds of South Africa’s food waste occurs in production, processing and storage, prompting Refreshi to push B2B surplus trading.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Bizcommunity reported that South Africa loses about 10.3 million tonnes of edible food annually – roughly 34% of the nation’s total production – with the majority of loss happening before food reaches households.
What happened
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) released a national estimate indicating that post‑harvest handling, storage, processing and packaging account for about two‑thirds of the total waste. The figure was highlighted ahead of the United Nations International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on 29 September.
What the reports add
Bizcommunity notes that the waste is not merely a consumer issue; over‑production, shifting demand, cancelled orders, packaging changes and stock with short remaining shelf life create commercially difficult surplus that remains suitable for consumption. The outlet also describes how Refreshi, a South‑African food‑tech firm, is positioning its B2B marketplace, Refreshi Exchange, to move surplus stock between commercial sellers and buyers.
What was said
Richard Honeyman, co‑founder and chief commercial officer of Refreshi Exchange, told Bizcommunity, “The size of the problem shows why business action matters.” He added, “If we really want to develop a more circular and sustainable food economy, we need to understand that the same marketplace dynamics are also required far earlier in the system, and may involve pallets of stock rather than individual bags at the grocery store.”
How it came about
Refreshi already runs a consumer‑facing service called Surprise Bags, offering shoppers discounted surplus meals and groceries at an average 53% saving off retail prices. Building on that model, the company argues that similar B2B trading can capture value from larger‑scale surplus earlier in the supply chain, reducing waste and supporting a more circular food economy.
Key facts
- South Africa loses about 10.3 million tonnes of edible food each year, roughly 34% of production. (bizcommunity.com)
- Two‑thirds of the loss occurs in post‑harvest handling, storage, processing and packaging. (bizcommunity.com)
- Refreshi’s consumer service saves shoppers an average 53% on surplus food. (bizcommunity.com)
- Richard Honeyman says business‑to‑business surplus trading can address early‑stage food waste. (bizcommunity.com)
Sources
- [1] bizcommunity.com — originally reported as “Food waste in SA is increasingly becoming a supply-chain problem”
