National School Nutrition Programme
The National School Nutrition Programme in the NC is committed to provide an effective and efficient service to all learners in public schools through the implementation of an integrated nutrition and food production programme.
The objective of the programme is provide targeted learners with a nutritious meal daily, so as to contribute to enhanced learning capacity.
The objectives of the Programme are:
· · To contribute to enhanced learning capacity through school feeding,
· · To promote food production initiatives in schools
· · To promote and strengthen nutrition education for the school community.
The National School nutrition Programme (NSNP), whose reach has extended further in recent years, remains an important success story for government. The programme is funded through a conditional grant that is transferred to Provinces on a quarterly basis. Guided by the relevant legislation and policies, National and provincial Departments of Education are accountable for the management and utilisation of the funds as well as the monitoring of implementation as guided by the Division of Revenue Act
District office NSNP Unit
Frances Baard: Ms Monica Matsio, Mr Dumisani Fata, Mr Vusi Morape
ZFM: Mr Henry Links
JTG: Mr K J Tlhage
Pixley Ka Seme: Ms Vuyiswa Nkumbi
Namaqua: Mr J Windvogel, Ms Aleta Jafta
Nutrition Education and food Production
The aim of Nutrition Education is to promote healthy eating habits and healthy lifestyles in schools and communities. It is through this component that the Programme hopes to be able to reach parents, educators, SGBs, SMTs, school gate vendors, tuck shop managers and interested community members. Sustainable Food Production encourages learners, educators and community members to develop food gardens in schools and use them as living laboratories by integrating them into the curriculum. The department has embarked on various strategies to implement projects at identified schools with the aim to roll these projects out to all participating schools
The National Department of Education introduced the programme to feed learners in the primary phase, for learners in quintiles 1, 2 and 3 but the Northern Cape Province feeds both the primary and secondary learners. All public schools are categorised on a national ranking mechanism from quintile 1 o 5 with quintile 1 being poorly resourced schools in poor communities. The programme has since grown from providing nutritious meals to 25 143 learners in 2004/05 to 267 402 in 2020/2021 financial year.
The NSNP has since been earmarked as one of the government strategies to alleviate hunger and poverty in communities. The programme thus contributes to the economic development of local people through co-operatives and small enterprises as service providers. The programme also contributes to economic development of local people through employment of Volunteer Food Handles (Cooks) who prepare meals for the learners. The food handles receive skills training on how to prepare food, basic hygiene and earn stipends which ranged from R1 640 per month.
The NSNP also provide nutrition education as part of the Life Skills academic curriculum and in environmental management such as and washing and recycling for all involved including the learners, teachers and food handlers. The programme also focuses on sustainable food production. Many schools established food gardens to varying degrees of success
NSNP District Contact Details
Frances Baard District:Tebogo Tau, ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. /053 830 7621)
Namakwa District: Fadiel Farao, ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 027 718 8695)
Pixley ka Seme District: Sipho Sthonga, ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 053 632 9204)
Zf Mgcawu district: Aubrey Isaacs, ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 054 337 6420)
Deworming programme
South Africa is a signatory to the World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution 54 19(May 2001) which calls for regular synchronized coordinated treatment of worms in high risk groups. Over 600 million learners worldwide are infected with worms. Sa local studies report 40-49% prevalence rates. Most prevalent amongst the disadvantaged children in density populated and underserviced, low altitude, coastal areas (Kwazulu Natal, Western Cape and Eastern Cape). In July 2014 the minister of Basic education in her budget vote speech announced the implementation of the deworming programme linked with NSNP, to maximize the health and cognitive benefits of school meals
Best school awards
The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) Best School and District Awards are utilised to celebrate the dedication and hard work of key role players such as the School management Teams, Educators, Volunteer Food Handlers and School Governing Bodies for their daily contribution and dedication towards the success of the programme and showcasing good practices
NSNP Best School and District Awards
EduPlant Competition
Endorsed by the Department of Basic Education’s National School Nutrition Programme, EduPlant offers schools in under-resourced communities and townships the resources; training and support they need to develop or improve their food gardens. The EduPlant programme has been running competitions that bring together the best food-growing schools in the country for a weeklong event to incentivize and further develop gardens at the best performing-schools.
We request schools to enter this competition so that we can have sustainable permaculture gardens.
Enquiries: If you encounter challenges in completing the entry contact Mr Khulu Mapatsi at 072 084 7070