KFC’s Secret Recipe Revealed – The One Everyone Has Been Waiting For

Johannesburg – The secret behind KFC Africa’s (http://KFC.co.za) success is now revealed, and it’s not just their famous blend of 11 herbs and spices. Instead, it’s a beacon of hope aimed at eradicating child hunger—shared openly with the world in honor of World Food Day.

On 7 October 2025, during The Biggest Hunger Hack event in Johannesburg, KFC Africa unveiled its groundbreaking decision to open-source the blueprint for Add Hope, their 16-year-old initiative that stands as South Africa’s largest non-governmental feeding program.

What started as a hackathon is now set to have a worldwide impact.

Over the past week, 60 of the brightest young talents in the country, in collaboration with the University of Johannesburg, have been enhancing the Add Hope framework to make it even more effective.

KFC Africa’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Andra Nel, emphasizes that Gen Z in Africa plays a crucial role in combating hunger.

“This generation truly understands the issue because they have either experienced it or witnessed it firsthand. They also possess a better grasp of technology, community, and systems thinking than many others. Therefore, we provided them with our blueprint and encouraged them to devise innovative solutions for extending hope.”

Nel expressed that the Add Hope team was incredibly impressed by the solutions that emerged from the hackathon.

“These ideas and the blueprint will facilitate exploration, sharing, and scaling of the solution.”

“This is a fantastic way to recognize World Food Day on 16 October and honor its theme of global collaboration.”

Biggest Hunger Hack

The success of Add Hope is fundamentally tied to the power of collaboration. It begins with KFC customers contributing R2 donations, complemented by KFC’s substantial contributions, resulting in meals prepared for vulnerable children at thousands of feeding centers nationwide.

A milestone of R1 billion was achieved last year, with over R600 million from public donations and R400 million from KFC.

“We recognize that collaboration is essential to further scale this initiative and meet the ongoing need, which is why we invited leaders from business, government, and civil society to join us at The Biggest Hunger Hack,” stated Nel.

“We hope other organizations will respond to our call to collaborate and expand what is already successful. New partnerships with firms like McCormick, Digistics, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa, Foodserv, Tiger Brands, CBH, and Nature’s Garden, among others, will provide us with a substantial boost.”

The Biggest Hunger Hack took place at the University of Johannesburg, where Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi expressed excitement about partnering with KFC on an initiative involving young people utilizing their Fourth Industrial Revolution skills to address child hunger.

“This collaboration highlights how young innovators, trained at the university, can develop practical, scalable solutions for societal benefit,” said Mpedi.

“We are eager to observe the tangible impact their ideas will have on alleviating hunger through innovation.”

Poverty to blame

Panelists at The Biggest Hunger Hack discussed the extensive child hunger crisis, advocating for a society-wide strategy for a sustainable solution.

Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman, founder of Gift of the Givers, remarked, “When you arrive at a disaster area, the first demand is for food. That’s when you realize that hunger has been a concern for days, not just a few hours.”

According to Siya Leshabane of UN Women, South Africa is one of 20 nations contributing to 65% of severe poverty globally.

“Hungry children find it difficult to focus and retain information. Poor nutrition results in fatigue, trapping children in a relentless cycle,” noted Dr. Sooliman.

Luvuyo Sandi, SED business and fund manager from Kagiso Trust, stated that hunger is interconnected with broader issues.

“A child’s hunger is often linked to household income issues, which stem from unemployment or lack of employability,” Sandi explained.

Dr. Marc Aguirre, country director at HOPE worldwide, characterized child hunger as a national development crisis.

“We estimate it impacts our GDP by roughly 10%. Stunted growth costs the country billions in rands, making it imperative to view addressing child hunger as an investment in the future,” Dr. Aguirre added.

Gen Z solution

Nel indicated that ideas from the hackathon teams will undergo testing in the upcoming months, with a collaborative business-led proposal expected for the National Convention in early 2026—positioned as a Gen Z solution to child hunger crafted by KFC Africa.

Potential seed funding of up to R1 million may be allocated to the development of the winning solution.

“This marks the first instance in which a major South African corporation has open-sourced a successful social impact model, potentially transforming how businesses address social challenges,” Nel stated.

“We’re not just feeding children; we’re nurturing a movement with the potential to permanently eradicate child hunger worldwide. This is the true recipe the world needs.”