Faith Leaders to Address Hunger and Poverty Crisis in South Africa

"Faith in Action: Reflections" webinar series with prominent South African faith leaders addressing the IF20 policy priorities

CAPE TOWN, WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA, July 9, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The G20 Interfaith Forum (IF20), the world's leading organization focused on the intersection of faith and policy, is launching its "Faith in Action: Reflections" webinar series with prominent South African faith leaders. They will be addressing the G20 Interfaith Forum policy priorities (food inequity, economic issues, educational enhancement, refugees and immigrants, and disaster prevention) and the critical role that religious communities play in each of these areas.

The inaugural webinar, taking place on Thursday, July 10, 2025, will explore "The Role of Inter-religious Actors in Addressing Hunger and Poverty," highlighting multi-faith efforts currently underway in South Africa to address these pressing challenges.

The hosts for the webinar, Sandile Makasi and Yashika Singh, emphasize the urgency of faith-based collaboration: "This discussion will explore the role of religiously motivated actors in addressing hunger and poverty."

The virtual meeting will take place on July 10, 2025, at 7:00 PM SAST (1:00 PM EDT), and will feature real-world examples of faith communities working to address food insecurity and poverty in South African communities.

Register for the free webinar at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NCewJWD4TDmwkhVThwTArA

Speakers will include:

• Dr. Renier Koegelenberg – Executive Director of the EFSA Institute for Theological and Interdisciplinary Research and Executive Secretary of the National Religious Association for Social Development (NRASD). Dr. Koegelenberg is a recipient of the Ecumenical Cross Award from Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and has led numerous food security partnerships across South Africa.
• Dr. Linda Naicker – NRF-rated scholar-activist based at the Research Institute for Theology and Religion, University of South Africa. Dr. Naicker's doctoral research confronts the harsh realities of chronic food insecurity among under-resourced women in urban South Africa, and she currently serves as the South African Coordinator for the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians.
• Sandile Makasi (host) – Vice-Chair of the G20 Interfaith Forum South Africa Local Organizing Committee. He also serves as the Communications Director for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Southern Africa.
• Yashika Singh (host) – Head of Religion for SABC Television. Yashika has served in many capacities as a Public Broadcaster for over 28 years.

Dr. Koegelenberg, who has extensively documented South Africa's hunger crisis, noted:

"Due to the impact of COVID 19 – the NIDS-CRAM survey in 2020 found 18 percent of all households experienced moderate or severe hunger. During Covid, 10 million adults and 3 million children experienced hunger; and 2.5 million adults and 600 000 children experienced perpetual hunger almost every day.”

He emphasized the need for collaborative action:

"Let us join hands to end the scourge of child hunger in our beautiful country with all its human and natural resources."

The webinar is part of a five-week series leading up to the G20 Interfaith Forum in South Africa, with each session exploring how faith communities contribute to solidarity, equality, and sustainability in each of the five policy priorities of G20 Interfaith Forum.

About the G20 Interfaith Forum

The G20 Interfaith Forum seeks global solutions by collaborating with religious thought leaders and political representatives to help shape the overall G20 agenda. It draws on the vital roles that religious institutions and beliefs play in world affairs, reflecting a rich diversity of institutions, ideas, and values. Through its extensive network of networks, it helps prioritize key global policy goals and point toward practical means of implementation at every level of society.

Marianna Richardson
G20 Interfaith Forum
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