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Through campaigns and protests, our partner organisation Labour Research Service (LRS) has made progress in improving conditions for food handlers in South Africa. Photo: LRS.
Publicerad 2026-06-04
Alla impact stories

Food handlers win right to unemployment benefits in South Africa

Despite their vital role in the national school feeding programme in South Africa, the so-called food handlers have long been denied basic labour rights. Through collective organising, protests and advocacy campaigns, they have won tangible improvements in their working conditions, such as now being able to access unemployment benefits.

In South Africa, so-called food handlers serve school meals to over nine million children every day as part of the national school feeding programme.

Despite the importance of their work, these women have long been regarded as ‘volunteers’ and have been denied access to basic rights such as unemployment benefits.

Mobilising for change

When many contracts were due to expire in 2025, the food handlers organised themselves and turned their individual struggles into a collective fight.

With support from the Palme Center’s partner organisation, the Labour Research Service (LRS), they organised protests outside employment offices (which also handle labour law and social insurance), ran social media campaigns and launched a petition.

Improving working conditions

The campaign led to tangible results.

For the first time, food delivery workers were able to access unemployment benefits. At the same time, the Department for Education removed the word ‘volunteer’ from the job title.