WAS Foundation

What WAS Foundation does

WAS Foundation is a South African nonprofit organization (We're Against Starvation), founded on 27 October 2009 by Esmarelda van Zyl, initially as an animal-rescue effort and pivoted in 2011 toward hunger relief and community upliftment in underprivileged white communities in the greater Johannesburg region. It is registered as a Section 18A Public Benefit Organization (PBO), making donations tax-deductible, and is led by the founder together with a network of volunteers and a designated Soup Kitchen Manager (Riekie Trollip) — no formal employee count or payroll is disclosed.

The organization's core operations center on the Rainbow Haven community center at 71 Tanner Street, Krugersdorp West, which opened in November 2018 and functions as the primary hub for food distribution, soup kitchen, and community programs. Its product portfolio consists of social welfare programs rather than technology products: a Lunchbox Project (including 400 loaves of bread per month), a Soup Kitchen Project serving Camps Krugersdorp and Tarlton, a Breakfast Project, a Street Kitchen in Alberton, monthly Food Parcels Distribution to 705 families, a seasonal Winter Clothing Drive, and a Student Volunteer Program that issues verified community-service hours. It does not maintain a mobile app, API, or proprietary technology platform. As of the COVID-19 period the organization reported assisting more than 3,200 people.

WAS Foundation operates a pure donation-based revenue model. There are no products or services sold; all assistance is provided free to beneficiaries. Income derives from individual and corporate donations, accepted via FNB and ABSA bank transfer, PayPal, the Yoco payment platform, and Facebook subscriptions. Its only disclosed monetary inflow is a R10,000 grant from the Nedbank Hero of the Year Award (2011), which the founder immediately redirected to the community. The organization reaches donors and recruits volunteers primarily through its Facebook page and a basic WordPress website (wasfoundation.org.za), with additional awareness driven by word-of-mouth and community referrals. A volunteer-coordinated network of 11+ drop-off points spans Krugersdorp, Stilbaai, Boksburg, Jukskei Park, Welkom (Free State), Randburg, Roodekrans, Alberton, Broadacres, Noordheuwel, and Randfontein.

Name

WAS Foundation

Legal name

WAS Foundation

Website

https://wasfoundation.org.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Short description

WAS Foundation is a South African nonprofit combating hunger and poverty in underprivileged Johannesburg communities. It runs food parcel, soup kitchen, breakfast, and lunchbox programs serving over 3,200 people through Rainbow Haven and 11+ volunteer drop-off points.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hunger Relief and Community Upliftment Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Community Food Services (62421), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH)

Keywords

• Hunger relief services
• Food assistance programs
• Community upliftment
• Nonprofit charity services
• Social welfare programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Krugersdorp

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization operates entirely on donations from individuals, businesses, and supporters. Registered as a Section 18A PBO allowing tax-deductible donations. Accepts financial contributions via bank transfer (FNB and ABSA), PayPal, Yoco payment platform, and Facebook subscriptions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

WAS Foundation is a registered Section 18A Public Benefit Organization that delivers free hunger-relief and community-upliftment services to underprivileged families in the greater Johannesburg region. It runs four feeding programs (Lunchbox, Soup Kitchen, Breakfast, and Street Kitchen), distributes monthly food parcels to 705 families, and operates seasonal clothing drives, all coordinated through its Rainbow Haven community center in Krugersdorp West and a network of 11+ volunteer drop-off points across South Africa.

Product overview

WAS Foundation is a charitable organization operating multiple social welfare programs focused on combating hunger and poverty in underprivileged communities in the greater Johannesburg region. The organization runs several food assistance programs including a Lunchbox Project, Soup Kitchen Project, Breakfast Project, Street Kitchen, and Food Parcels Distribution serving over 3,200 people. Additionally, the foundation conducts seasonal initiatives like the Winter Clothing Drive and offers a Student Volunteer Program for community service hours. All programs are coordinated through the main Rainbow Haven center in Krugersdorp West with support from volunteers across multiple locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lunchbox Project

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,200+ people assisted with food and basic needs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Rainbow HavencoreOthersCommunity center opened in November 2018 as the primary base for WAS Foundation operations, serving as the main hub for food distribution, soup kitchen, and community programs in Krugersdorp.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• FoodForward SA: South Africa's largest food redistribution nonprofit, connecting surplus food to community organizations serving vulnerable populations. Directly comparable mission of addressing food insecurity and hunger relief in South African communities.
• Peninsula School Feeding Association: South African nonprofit providing nutritious meals to vulnerable learners at underprivileged schools. Comparable in delivering food assistance to children in underserved communities, similar target demographic and service model.
• Breadline Africa: South African nonprofit establishing sustainable food security programs including container gardens and feeding schemes. Comparable focus on hunger relief and community self-sustainability in underprivileged South African areas.
• Meals on Wheels South Africa: South African branch of the global Meals on Wheels network providing meals to those in need. Comparable community food service organization addressing hunger through direct meal provision and food parcel distribution.
• Philani South Africa: South African nonprofit addressing child malnutrition and family wellness through community health worker programs. Comparable in providing food security support and community upliftment services to vulnerable families.
• The Lunchbox Fund: South African nonprofit providing daily meals to underprivileged children through school feeding programs. Directly comparable focus on child hunger relief via lunchbox programs, similar to WAS Foundation's Lunchbox Project.
• FoodBank South Africa: South African food banking organization that collects and distributes food to community organizations. Directly comparable mission of food redistribution and hunger relief through community-based service delivery.

Broad incumbents

• ADRA South Africa: South African arm of Adventist Development and Relief Agency International, providing food security, community development, and humanitarian assistance. Comparable broader humanitarian and food assistance mission in South African communities.
• Islamic Relief South Africa: South African branch of international humanitarian organization providing food assistance, emergency relief, and community development. Comparable in providing hunger relief and basic necessities to vulnerable South African communities at greater scale.

Regional players

• Love Africa Trust: South African nonprofit providing food parcels and humanitarian aid to vulnerable communities. Comparable in operating community-based food assistance programs for underprivileged South African families.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WAS-Foundation-1460331147593412

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WAS Foundation