10.3 million tonnes of SA food never gets eaten. Much of the problem starts before it reaches us

Ahead of the United Nations International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on 29 September, Refreshi argues that consumer food rescue and structured B2B trading offer complementary ways to keep suitable surplus in circulation while building a more circular food economy for SA.

South Africa’s food-loss challenge does not begin only when a household discards groceries or a restaurant clears a plate. It often begins much earlier, in production, processing, warehouses, and distribution networks, where suitable stock can lose value before it ever reaches the market.

That is the conversation Refreshi wants to advance ahead of International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on 29 September. This year’s observance focuses on the Transformative Potential of Reducing Food Loss and Waste, a timely prompt for food outlets willing to prevent commercial surplus from becoming waste.

“The size of the problem shows why business action matters. The CSIR’s national estimate has found that approximately 10.3 million tonnes of edible food in South Africa does not reach the human stomach each year, which is equivalent to about 34% of all food produced in our country. The study estimated that the largest share of losses and waste occurred before the consumer stage, with post-harvest handling, storage, processing and packaging accounting for about two-thirds of the total,” says Richard Honeyman, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Refreshi Exchange.

At the consumer end, Refreshi Surprise Bags already connect South African customers with discounted surplus meals or groceries from participating food outlets and retailers. The model gives consumers a practical way to save money (saving an average of 53% against the original retail value) while helping businesses recover value from perfectly good food that might otherwise go unsold.

“While consumer action offers a significant solution, South Africa’s food-waste challenge demands a wider view of the greater food system. 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. That is why we also built Refreshi Exchange, which fits into the bigger picture. The business-to-business marketplace is designed to help manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers and other commercial operators create a structured secondary route to market for suitable surplus, and discontinued food and consumer-goods stock,” adds Honeyman.

Surplus can arise for ordinary commercial reasons: overproduction, demand shifts, packaging changes, cancelled orders, seasonal lines or a shorter remaining shelf life than a primary channel can accommodate. The stock may still have value, but the business may have too little time or visibility to find an appropriate buyer.

“South Africa’s food-waste discussion can sometimes make surplus sound like a failure of intent,” says Honeyman. “In reality, businesses manage complex supply chains. Forecasts change, retailers alter ranges and stock can end up in the wrong location at the wrong time. The challenge is to identify what is still suitable, then create a credible route to a buyer who can use it.”

The Refreshi Exchange is already building a more circular food economy for South Africa by meaningfully connecting verified commercial sellers with verified business buyers. Sellers provide key stock information, while buyers can assess opportunities by category, quantity, condition, location, and remaining shelf life. Food safety, product condition, buyer suitability, and brand protection remain central to every responsible transaction.

The platform is not a replacement for food donation, which remains essential where stock is appropriate for charitable redistribution and can be received safely and quickly. Nor does it reduce the importance of consumer food rescue. The two working arms of the Refreshi business aim to serve different users and volumes, but share the insight that surplus can retain value if it reaches the right destination in time.

“A pallet in one warehouse can be a problem for one business and an opportunity for another,” says Honeyman. “What is often missing is not demand but visibility, trust and speed. A more effective secondary market gives businesses a practical option between leaving suitable stock to lose value and relying only on ad hoc, last-minute arrangements.”

The case is as much economic as environmental. For sellers, a documented secondary route can recover value from inventory that no longer fits the original channel; for buyers, it can create a legitimate purchasing opportunity.

“The goal is not to turn every surplus item into a sale,” says Honeyman. “It is to give stock that is suitable and safe a better chance of finding the right route to market before it becomes waste. This is how we can truly build a far more circular food economy in South Africa,” concludes Honeyman.