The work
Food For Mzansi is a South African agricultural media network that has redefined how farming and food security are covered in the national conversation. Launched in 2018, the platform set out to challenge prevailing narratives that only focused on crisis and conflict in agriculture, instead spotlighting the everyday people, farmers, workers and entrepreneurs, shaping agriculture as a space of innovation and resilience.
The founders, journalists Ivor Price and Kobus Louwrens, envisioned a platform that could bridge the country’s rural-urban divide and make agriculture accessible and aspirational to younger, more diverse audiences. With no legacy structures or external investment, they built Food For Mzansi from the ground up, cultivating a newsroom culture grounded in empathy curiosity.
Over time, the initiative evolved into a multi-platform organization rooted in journalism but extending far beyond it. Today, Food For Mzansi produces podcasts, newsletters, campaigns and development programs. It engages readers through its reporting while building community across the food value chain.
To support its continued growth, MDIF provided investment and strategic advisory through its Media Advisory Services (MAS) team. MAS connected Food For Mzansi with Revenue Expert-in-Residence, Adriana Peña Johansson, to help refine its commercial operations. Together, they have worked to formalise sales processes, implement data tools and develop a scalable system without losing the personal, community-driven touch at the organization’s core.
The intervention focused on building structured revenue operations, from pipeline management and pricing strategy to integrating editorial planning with sales insights. This helped the organization move from an intuitive, relationship-based sales model to a more disciplined, data-informed approach.
The impact
The collaboration with MAS marked a turning point for Food For Mzansi’s commercial maturity. By embedding stronger data practices and formalising revenue workflows, the organization gained a clearer understanding of its audience behaviour and how to align those with its sales strategy.
Key tools, including structured sales pipelines, improved CRM practices and performance dashboards, enabled the team to better track opportunities, optimise resources and adapt pricing models. The shift helped sharpen the organization’s value proposition to advertisers and partners, proving that impact and profitability can be mutually reinforced when managed strategically.
The team also began applying insights from data to shape their editorial calendar in ways that support commercial partnerships, while maintaining the integrity of their reporting. This feedback loop between content and revenue has opened up new possibilities for product development and long-term sustainability.
Food For Mzansi is now positioned not only as a trusted source of agricultural reporting, but as a resilient business with diversified revenue streams and a strong community presence. With a renewed commercial foundation, it continues to grow as a platform that uplifts South Africa’s rural voices and contributes meaningfully to national food security debates.