HSRC Hub 3 Connect: Working Together for Zero Hunger in South Africa

On 8 October 2025, the Human Sciences Research Council’s Research Hub 3 (Equitable Food Value Chains) hosted a HSRC Connect session under the theme “Working Together for Zero Hunger in South Africa: Towards Equitable and Ecological Food Futures.” The event formed part of preparations for World Food Day on 16 October 2025. This panel conversation with government officials, civil society representatives and academics showcased the urgent need for multi-stakeholder collaboration to ensure equitable access to nutritious and sustainable food for all.

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HSRC hands over revised Policy Advocacy Framework to the National Development Agency

At the end of March, the HSRC handed over a revised version of the Policy Advocacy Framework (PAF) to the National Development Agency (NDA). This Framework comprises a set of guidelines and tools that the NDA can use to influence policy reforms aimed at reducing poverty.

HSRC crafters of the PAF stress that it is not just a neat and systematic set of principles, guidelines for advocacy in practice and tools. It is a framework for overhauling policy at the coalface of policy design and practice. How can the NDA put the PAF to work in line with this overarching vision?

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Maximising the power of stakeholder engagement: NDA Policy Advocacy Framework update

The emergent Policy Advocacy Framework (PAF) of the National Development Agency (NDA) underscores the power of collaborating with government departments, civil society actors, and networks. Eradicating poverty is at the core of the NDA mission, and the PAF accepts that this vision demands a whole-of-society approach.

The PAF incorporates guidelines on how to harness the power of partners and collaborators for transformative policy change in support of vulnerable communities. Effective evidence-informed policy advocacy needs the right stakeholders, common principles, and a defined PAF initiative on which to collaborate. Figure 1 below depicts how to maximise the power of stakeholder engagement.

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