Sixty innovators join KFC Africa’s “Biggest Hunger Hack”
A New Wave of Disruption Hits South Africa’s Hunger Crisis
As World Food Day approaches, South Africa’s hunger crisis has met its next wave of disruption. Sixty of the country’s brightest Gen Z innovators spent a week tackling one of the nation’s toughest problems — child hunger — and emerged with breakthrough, tech-powered ideas that could redefine how food insecurity is addressed.
Artificial intelligence, blockchain, data visualisation, and community-driven platforms were among the tools harnessed during The Biggest Hunger Hack, a challenge hosted by KFC Africa. The event invited young digital natives to re-engineer the brand’s Add Hope open-source blueprint (AddHope.KFC.co.za).
Building on the Add Hope Legacy
Add Hope, powered by millions of R2 donations from KFC customers, already supports 3,300+ feeding centres across South Africa, reaching over 154,000 children last year alone. The hackathon sought to explore how technology could amplify that impact, with potential seed funding of up to R1 million set aside to develop the winning solution.
Stand-Out Solutions from the Hackathon
Ctrl-Alt-Del-Hunger: Turning Food Waste into Hope
The overall winning team, Ctrl-Alt-Del-Hunger, created Misfits Mzansi, an app that rescues “ugly” fruit and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste and delivers them to food-insecure families.
The app also hosts short-form cooking challenges, edutainment content, and ad-driven donations — where engagement literally feeds families.
“You become a philanthropist just by watching a video,” said the team.
Streetwise Scripters: Social Media Meets Social Good
Another standout team, Streetwise Scripters, developed a social-media-first donation ecosystem featuring a real-time donor dashboard, donation hotspot map, and KFC loyalty integration where good deeds unlock free meals.
Their @KFCAddHopeSA TikTok-to-Till campaign turns everyday digital storytelling into donor engagement.
Bit Coders: AI and Chatbots for Inclusive Giving
The Bit Coders team introduced a chatbot ecosystem powered by AI, offering donor insights, tax certificate downloads, and seamless payments via MTN MoMo API. Their solution ensures donation inclusivity — even for non-KFC customers.
Hack 4 Hope: Blockchain for Full Transparency
Hack 4 Hope showcased a WhatsApp chatbot that lets customers scan a QR code on their KFC till slip to instantly donate.
Built on blockchain, it provides verifiable proof of every R2’s journey — from donor to meal — while “HopeCoins” reward repeat donors and gamify giving.
Collaboration as the Ultimate Ingredient
“The Biggest Hunger Hack showed what happens when young digital natives use tech for good,” said Andra Nel, KFC Africa’s Head of Brand Purpose and ESG.
“They understand hunger because many have lived it, and they understand technology because they were born into it. That’s the sweet spot for innovation with purpose.”
Stakeholders from business, government, and civil society attended the event in Johannesburg to witness live pitches and explore ways to scale the ideas nationally.
What’s Next: From Hack to Impact
According to Nel, the next step is to co-develop pilot programmes with Add Hope partners, with results expected ahead of the National Convention on Child Hunger next year.
“Collaboration is our key ingredient — from customers dropping R2 at the till, to partners like McCormick, Tiger Brands, Foodserv, CBH, Nature’s Garden, Digistics, and Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa, all rallying behind the Add Hope recipe,” Nel said.
“Opening up Add Hope as an open-source blueprint has unleashed an outpouring of ubuntu that’s turning this fight into a movement — one that South Africa, and the world, can learn from.”
About KFC Africa
Since opening its first restaurant in Johannesburg in 1971, KFC Africa has grown to over 1,400 restaurants in 22 sub-Saharan countries, making it the continent’s leading quick-service restaurant brand.
The brand’s purpose extends beyond meals — through initiatives like the Streetwise Academy, Mini Cricket, Ikusasa Lethu scholarships, and the Add Hope programme, which delivers 30 million meals to vulnerable children each year.
With over 40,000 team members, KFC Africa champions fairness, integrity, and opportunity, feeding more than hunger — it feeds potential.