• Introduction

Many South African households suffer with food insecurity; however, the COVID-19 pandemic could have pushed more people into a food crisis due to the increase in food prices, the loss of jobs, and various essential services and food programmes. Additionally, the need for food relief increased, and state-led intervention with limited state capacity were inadequate. The case of the City of Cape Town is selected due to its unique insights as, prior to the lockdowns, Civil Society Organisations [1] were excluded though regulation to deliver food relief, presenting a distinctive scenario to study the evolution and impact of CSO involvement and the emergence of novel networks in crisis response.

• Methodology

This paper employs a case study approach, focusing on the CoCT to explore the role CSOs and emerging novel networks in food governance during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they contributed to governance capacity [2]. To this end, this study adopted a qualitative research methodology through desktop study of secondary sources such as the existing literature, official reports, government policies, and the grey literature (third-sector reports) for a descriptive analysis.

• Results

This paper finds that CSOs and novel networks during the pandemic demonstrated adaptive capacity through novel governance arrangements which contributed to enhanced governance capacity in the CoCT. This is achieved through collective action, coordination, social learning and resource mobilisation towards resilience.

• Conclusion

Understanding the role of CSOs and novel networks in enhancing governance capacity is critical not only for addressing immediate crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic but also for informing long-term strategies to achieve SDGs in South Africa and beyond.