In Atlantis, hunger is no longer confined to the unemployed. Increasingly, working families are also struggling to cope as rising food prices, poverty, inequality, gangsterism and substance abuse deepen pressure on already vulnerable households, writes Shanaaz Ebrahim-Gire.
Speaking during a large-scale Qurbani distribution programme in Atlantis on Saturday, former Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel said many households continued to feel the effects of economic hardship, despite the area’s history as one of the Western Cape’s major industrial centres.
“It is not unusual to find families where more than half the working-age adults are unemployed,” Patel said.
Built in the 1970s as a manufacturing hub intended to attract investment and create jobs, Atlantis was once regarded as a model of industrial development. Over time, however, factory closures, job losses and declining economic opportunities have left many families struggling to survive.
For community activist Gasina Peterson, the effects of this decline are visible daily. Having lived in Atlantis for more than two decades, Peterson says poverty has become an increasing burden, particularly for pensioners, unemployed residents and households reliant on social grants.
“Things are so expensive,” she said. “Many people are trying to survive on very little. Some pensioners are supporting children and grandchildren from just their pension, and it is simply not enough.”
Peterson, who regularly assists with community food support initiatives, says the demand for assistance continues to grow.
“Every month people come looking for food. Some families have nothing on the table. When there is no work and no income, people become desperate.”
She believes the challenges facing Atlantis extend far beyond food insecurity alone. “There are drugs, gangs and unemployment. Many young people don’t have opportunities. These are the realities many families are facing every day.”
Among those navigating these pressures is 33-year-old single mother Macharrley Piedt.
Before sunrise each morning, Piedt leaves her home and travels nearly 40 kilometres to Sunningdale, where she works as a cleaner earning R33.36 an hour. The daily commute consumes a substantial portion of the R4,000 to R5,000 she earns each month. By the time transport, rent, electricity and groceries are paid for, little remains.
“I’m struggling to provide for my children,” she said. Her experience reflects a growing reality across South Africa, where employment no longer guarantees food security or financial stability.
That reality was evident on Saturday as thousands of residents gathered at Wesfleur Primary School for the Awqaf South Africa Share the Care Qurbani programme. The initiative was made possible through a partnership between Awqaf South Africa, the Turkish Diyanet Foundation and the South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union.
Alongside the distribution, residents also had access to health screenings, CV-writing assistance, skills development opportunities and children’s activities.
For many Atlantis residents, the programme provided rare relief amid mounting economic strain. “This is the first time we’ve seen something like this in our community,” Peterson said. “People were excited because it brought help to families who are struggling.”
While grateful for the support, residents stressed that food assistance alone cannot resolve the deeper structural challenges confronting Atlantis.
Patel said meaningful change would require sustained investment in economic development, job creation and long-term opportunities capable of restoring stability and dignity to struggling households.
This year’s Share the Care Qurbani initiative reached communities across the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng, as well as Namibia and Angola. In the Cape Metro alone, 13,000 meat hampers were distributed to vulnerable households.
As many communities continue to grapple with unemployment, poverty and rising living costs, initiatives such as these offer not only immediate relief, but also reflect the importance of collective responsibility and solidarity in times of hardship.
“Behind every parcel distributed today is a family facing difficult circumstances and trying their best to make ends meet,” said Awqaf South Africa CEO Mickaeel Collier.
“When we speak about food insecurity, we are speaking about real people, real families and real choices that parents are forced to make every day. Programmes like this are about more than food; they are about restoring dignity, showing solidarity and reminding people that they have not been forgotten.
“Our hope is that today’s support provides relief while inspiring greater action to address the root causes of poverty and hunger in our communities.”
Watch Shaykh Isa Kabungaidze explain the essential meaning of qurbani.
