South Africa wastes around 10 million tonnes of food each year, while millions struggle to afford daily meals. The scale of the problem is staggering—according to Stats SA, a third of all food produced in the country never reaches a plate.
For two young entrepreneurs, Yuan Dowley and Tyron Govender, food waste is more than just a statistic. It is something they witnessed firsthand while working in the restaurant industry and struggling with food affordability as students. Their response? A mobile app called Afoody, designed to connect consumers with stores selling surplus food at a discounted price.
A personal connection to food waste
Dowley and Govender both grew up in Durban, where they saw the contrast between food waste and hunger. While studying and working as waiters at a buffet restaurant, they were shocked by the amount of good food thrown away each night.
“Once service ended and the staff had eaten, whatever was left had to be discarded. We saw it happen shift after shift,” Govender explains. “At the same time, we knew that just outside, people were struggling to afford food.”
Their own experiences as students also shaped their approach. “There were days when instant noodles were all I could afford,” Govender recalls. “If I happened to find discounted food at a supermarket, it felt like a lucky break.”
These experiences led them to research South Africa’s food waste problem and develop a digital solution that could make surplus food more accessible to those who need it.
How Afoody works
Launched in Cape Town, Afoody is a free mobile app that allows users to find and purchase discounted food that would otherwise go to waste.
Here’s how it works:
- Users download the app and enter their location.
- The app displays nearby stores with surplus food available at reduced prices.
- Customers can select a ‘Wonder Bag’—a package of discounted surplus food—pay online or in-store, and then collect their food.
The food available depends on what stores have in excess each day. Partner stores include supermarkets, restaurants, bakeries, and even hotels.
Early challenges and response
Like many startups, Afoody faced challenges in its early days. Convincing stores to join the platform was not always easy, as the concept required a shift in how businesses think about surplus food.
“There are two groups of retailers,” says Govender. “Some stores understand the value immediately and sign up right away. Others take longer to decide because they need to get approval from different levels of management.”
Despite this, the response from both consumers and businesses has been largely positive. “Some customers have become repeat users within days of trying the app,” Dowley says. “A bakery manager who partnered with us early on was so excited about the results that they kept contacting us for ways to expand the partnership.”
For users, the financial impact is significant. Someone purchasing a typical Wonder Bag three times a week can save up to R150 per week.
Addressing food waste and affordability
Afoody is part of a growing global movement that aims to tackle food waste by redistributing surplus food. Similar apps have been successful in Europe and North America, but in South Africa, the problem of food waste is closely linked to food insecurity.
According to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, more than 50% of South African households experience food insecurity. Meanwhile, much of the food discarded by retailers is still perfectly edible.
Dowley and Govender believe that Afoody is not just about saving money—it’s about changing the way South Africans think about food waste. “There’s a stigma around discounted or surplus food, but that needs to change,” Govender says. “This food is perfectly good. The only thing that makes it surplus is that the store couldn’t sell it in time.”
What’s next for Afoody?
While the app is currently available in Cape Town, the founders have plans to expand to Johannesburg and Durban before rolling it out to other parts of the country.
“In five years, we want Afoody to be the go-to app for affordable food,” says Dowley. “Wherever you are in South Africa, we want you to open the app and find discounted food nearby.”
For now, the biggest challenge is scaling up—getting more stores on board and making sure consumers understand how the app works. But Dowley and Govender are optimistic. “If we can save food from being wasted and help people afford meals, that’s a win for everyone,” says Govender.
