Fuelled by customers’ R2 donations, the collaborative initiative has ‘truly become the symbol of small change making big change’

KFC’s Add Hope programme, which recently passed the R1bn mark in its effort to fight malnutrition and hunger, has left an indelible mark on the lives of millions and become a powerful force for good.

That’s the conclusion of an impact study, conducted in partnership with senior GIBS lecturer, Dr Tracey Toefey and DEZ Advisory Services, commissioned by KFC to mark the programme’s 15th anniversary. 

Add Hope encourages customers to voluntarily add a R2 donation to their bill, which KFC then supplements. The study finds that customers have contributed almost R644 million. With R391 million from KFC, more than R1 billion has been spent feeding malnourished children. Together this provides more than 80,000 meals on average daily. Akhona Qengqe, General Manager of KFC Africa, says R2 donations grew by 45% in 2023, confirming the power of collective effort and the potential of the impact we can make. 

“In 2023, we raised R64 million in R2s and served more than 32 million meals. That’s a whole lot of hope added,” she says. “When you hear about the scale of the hunger that exists in South Africa, it can seem insurmountable. The solution can seem far away. But we can all make a meaningful contribution towards that solution by donating something as seemingly small as R2.”

Positive outcomes

Dr Toefy says Add Hope is “one of the largest corporate and social initiatives in the country and … has truly become the symbol of small change making big change”.

The study adopted a research approach to assess the impact of the nutrition Add Hope funds. It reports numerous positive outcomes, ranging from improved physical health, school attendance and social skills to reduced psychological stress.

It also points to Add Hope’s importance for long-term social, economic and personal progress, and case studies illustrate the programme’s impact on individuals, partner organisations and the communities they serve. “The ripple effects of Add Hope reverberate throughout society,” says the report. “It exemplifies the transformative power of corporate social responsibility.”

StatsSA’s 2023 General Household Survey, published a month ago, found that almost one in four households (23.1%) consider their access to food inadequate or severely inadequate, five percentage points higher than in 2019 before the outbreak of Covid-19, and the Add Hope study says this adds up to a disaster for children.

“The damaging and far-reaching effects of food insecurity and poor nutrition are cognitive, physical, social and psychological in nature. Children without adequate quality nutrition cannot achieve their developmental and academic potential, and are at higher risk of experiencing lifelong health and economic challenges. Conversely, optimal nutrition is positively associated with strong child development.”

Qengqe says South Africa is on a long journey to address inequality, “and hunger is the gatekeeper. Overcoming inequality starts with something as simple as a nutritious meal.”

130 partners, 3,300 feeding centres

Add Hope partners with more than 130 non-governmental organisations, non-profit organisations and community feeding schemes which identify children who are most at risk of hunger and malnutrition. The nutritional value of each plate of food served at more than 3,300 feeding centres is carefully considered, with meals designed to be cost-effective, nourishing, culturally relevant and age-appropriate. 

Speaking to Add Hope partners, Toefy and her colleagues collected numerous testimonials about the programme’s impact. One partner said a beneficiary was “healthier than she’s ever been”. Another spoke about a boy “who has changed from a severe case of kwashiorkor [malnutrition produced by a severe protein shortage] to a healthy and normal child”.

In some cases, Add Hope has saved lives, said Mandy Spies of SOS Children’s Villages. “We’ve had a number of children who have been in dire situations, who have almost died because of neglect, not having food.”

Onyi Nwaneri of Afrika Tikkun said Add Hope had professionalised her organisation’s approach to nutrition. “Before KFC, we fed like everybody else. With KFC, we feed with intention, with insight into the science behind nutrition and what it achieves with different ages of children.”

Sue Wildish of The Lunchbox Fund told a heartwarming story about witnessing a child’s transformation. “The eczema had gone. He was running around playing with other children. He had literally attended school every single day since we had last been there. He was singing with other kids, counting…”

‘I’m surviving … and thriving’

The researchers also spoke to beneficiaries, one of whom said: “You can’t influence a child who is hungry. By giving me meals, Add Hope found a way to reach me, to influence me. It’s changed my life.” A 17-year-old who has been supplied with nutritious meals by Afrika Tikkun since she was in Gr. 2, said: “The food I received was a lifeline. It helped me to survive, then it helped me to thrive.” 

The study authors say: “Add Hope has emerged as a powerful force for good, touching the hearts and minds of individuals, families, communities, and the nation as a whole.”

Qengqe says Add Hope is one of several KFC initiatives investing in children and young people. Mini Cricket, the country’s largest grassroots sports programme, gives 120,000 girls and boys between the ages of three and 12 the opportunity to be active. 

“Our Ikusasa Lethu scholarships provide access to quality education for children who are Add Hope beneficiaries or whose parents work for KFC, and our Streetwise Academy tackles youth unemployment. Many young people don’t have matric, so the academy – which is National Qualifications Framework-accredited – supports them in getting their matric and diplomas.”

Qengqe says KFC relies on the communities where it operates. “That’s why we need to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. The Add Hope impact report shows that we are doing just that, and we’re delighted to have this evidence of how support from the people of South Africa is not only making a vital difference but saving lives.”

ENDS 

About KFC Africa 

KFC has been in South Africa for over 53 years and has more than 1,100 stores across the country. The first KFC restaurant in South Africa opened in 1971 in Orange Grove, Johannesburg. KFC is the leading quick-service restaurant brand in South Africa with just under a third of market share, according to Brand Image Tracker. KFC serves more than 20 million customers a month and we work hard to ensure that no matter which of our restaurants they walk into, they will get that distinctive KFC flavour and have a great experience. KFC’s Original Recipe® Chicken was first made by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1940 when he perfected his secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices at his restaurant in Kentucky. Today, KFC is the world’s most popular chicken restaurant, still preparing our chicken with the Colonel’s secret recipe to his exact standards. Every KFC restaurant follows the same global processes and procedures to ensure that our customers get great-tasting food, every time. 

About KFC Add Hope

Add Hope was launched in 2009 and encourages KFC customers to add R2 to their bills so that hungry and malnourished children can be supported with nutritious meals. KFC then adds its own contribution, and by 2024 more than R1 billion had been raised. Add Hope supports more than 130 partner organisations which operate 3,300 feeding centres. More than 80,000 meals a day, on average, are served to hungry and malnourished children in all nine provinces. An impact assessment conducted in March 2024 said Add Hope had become “one of the largest corporate and social initiatives in the country” and had left an indelible mark on millions of children. Add Hope is operated by the KFC Social Responsibility Trust, which audits the programme’s partners annually. 

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