
While the distribution of government food parcels meant for poor and vulnerable income households became shrouded in controversy during the Covid-19 Level 5 and Level 4 Lockdown periods, one project which has continued throughout in its honest and pure intention of ‘paying it forward’ has been the relationship between FUSO, a brand of Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa, and the Shoprite Mobile Soup Kitchens.
This relationship goes back to 2015 – long before Covid-19 hit – when FUSO made a decision to pay it forward by sponsoring a FUSO Canter FE8-150 to help the project. The purpose of this project is to provide hunger relief through the daily supply of meals within impoverished communities.
Converted into a mobile soup kitchen, the FUSO Canter has contributed to feeding many lives across South Africa since the inception of the sponsorship. With the recent country lockdown alone, over 83 000 meals have been dished up from this truck supporting over 150 non-profit organisations in Secunda.
“As FUSO Trucks, we knew we had to further our commitment to Shoprite by donating the current Canter FE8-150, which will allow them to continue their work in and around the Secunda community. We are proud to support initiatives such as these that act to change the lives of others,” says Ziyad Gaba; Head of FUSO Trucks Southern Africa.
The impact which Shoprite Mobile Soup Kitchens has had over the last few years has been immeasurable. Their work and passion is evident in the manner in which they drive this initiative in and around communities of South Africa.

“Hunger relief is at the heart of our efforts to bring sustainable change to the communities we serve. FUSO Trucks have helped us impact lives in exactly the way we want to, which is what has made this long-term partnership so gratifying,” says Lunga Schoeman, CSI Manager for the Shoprite Group, adding that the FUSO truck will definitely further their reach and bring hunger relief to many more lives.
Now that’s the true spirit of paying it forward. Up the trucking industry and salute to FUSO and to Shoprite!