​On Wednesday, 23 October 2024, the Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD) has unveiled five customised mobile kitchens to serve the communities of the province as part of the Nutrition Security program in Winterveld, Tshwane.
There are 28 physical and five mobile Community Nutrition Development Centres (CNDCs) in the province, and they are used to cook and serve lunch to vulnerable individuals five days a week for three months.

CNDC's are not feeding schemes but development centres. There are centres also provide training for receipts of the meals.

Its cooks are qualified in basic food safety and regularly undertake additional training. All other employees complete an annual in-house training course on safe food practices and hold a basic food handling practices certificate.

This program derives its mandate from various policies and documents that include the South African Constitution, the Integrated Food Security Strategy (IFSS), and the Household Food and Nutrition Security Strategy.

Gauteng Department of Social Development Sustainable Livelihoods’ Director Mbali Ndlovu said, “The idea of mobile units is that they easily access remote areas such as informal settlements, hostels, and rural areas with the objectives of ensuring access to food by the poor and vulnerable in Gauteng."

“This means that our food and nutrition programs get a boost to reach out to more of our residents, with each Gauteng Corridor (region) receiving one unit to serve this population," she said.

This initiative is part of the broader Food and Nutrition Security Programme, which stems from key policies, including the South African Constitution, the Integrated Food Security Strategy (IFSS), and the Household Food and Nutrition Security Strategy.

The mobile kitchens reflect the department’s commitment to expanding access to food and nutrition services for the poor and vulnerable, ensuring that no community is left behind.

These units will not only provide immediate food relief but also promote long-term sustainability. Beneficiaries will be profiled and referred to skills development programs to empower individuals and strengthen their livelihoods.