The Department of Basic Education, alongside the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Departments of Education and Agriculture in partnership with Nestlé, commemorated the final leg of the 2026 National Nutrition Week (NNW) at Nhlonhlweni Primary School in Roosboom, uThukela District on 30 October 2026. National Nutrition Week is commemorated annually from 9 to 15 October to raise awareness of the importance of good nutrition and mobilize individuals, communities, and organisations to take action that supports healthier diets and improved nutritional well-being.

The theme for NNW 2026 is: “Creating Healthy Food Environments for Better Nutrition”. The theme emphasises the importance of collective action to create environments that support healthier food choices through activities across homes, early childhood development centres, schools, workplaces, and communities. These activities are aimed at promoting equitable access to safe, nutritious, and affordable foods, strengthening food security, and supporting healthy dietary practices. This whole-of-society approach supports the implementation of the Strategy for the Prevention and Management of Obesity in South Africa and complements the National Food and Nutrition Security Plan.

In general, NNW aims to encourage schools to make healthy foods an easy choice for learners; to promote healthy lunchboxes and nutritious school meals; make safe drinking water the first choice; support school food gardens and nutrition education; and limit the availability and promotion of unhealthy foods. National Nutrition Week also extends to early childhood development, advocating for continued breastfeeding and encouraging healthy eating habits from an early age.

All the learners took part in a 2-kilometre colour fun-walk around the village and took part in board games and cultural activities before being served a healthy breakfast, complete with fruit and water. KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC, Mr Sipho Hlomuka joined the activities, taking part in a practical demonstration of preparing and serving meals to learners, demonstrating the Department’s commitment to ensuring that children have access to nutritious food in a safe and supportive school environment. KwaZulu-Natal Director for the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), Mr Thanduxolo Cele, commended the rural school for its consistent compliance with environmental health and safety requirements. He expressed gratitude to the DBE for championing the NSNP and reinforcing the importance of healthy lifestyles among learners.

Delivering his keynote address, Mr Hlomuka emphasised the importance of the NSNP in supporting learners’ well-being and educational success: “We are here to celebrate the initiative to provide meals for our learners. No child deserves to suffer from starvation and hunger. When learners are healthy, the consumption of the curriculum becomes easier”. MEC Hlomuka, Mr Mahlomola Lebopa, Deputy Director for NSNP at the DBE and the uThukela District Municipality Mayor handed over school shoes, gardening implements and sporting equipment to learners and the school, donated by the DBE-NSNP and Nestlé.