The Service Dining Rooms in the Media
Explore how local media have featured The Service Dining Rooms. From interviews to radio segments. Each story reflects the heart of our mission and the collective effort to fight hunger one meal at a time.
14 October 2025 || The Cape Towner
The legacy of Cape Town's Service Dining Rooms
Author: Fouzia van der Fort
The Service Dining Rooms celebrated 90 years of serving vulnerable Capetonians with a special luncheon attended by the mayor, donors, volunteers and the founder’s descendants. The article reflects on the organisation’s legacy and its nomination for the Mayor’s Medal.
14 October 2025 || The Peoples's Post
Cape Town's Service Dining Rooms Celebrates 90Years of Feeding the Hungry
Author: Kaylynne Bantom
Marking 90 years of compassionate service, The Service Dining Rooms continues to offer affordable, dignified meals to those in need. The article looks back at its origins, ongoing community support, and its role as a vital safety net in Cape Town.
8 July 2025 || Atlantic Sun
Cape Town’s Service Dining Rooms celebrate 90 years of feeding the vulnerable
Author: Fouzia Van Der Fort
Coverage of the Service Dining Rooms’ 90th anniversary events featuring descendants of the founder serving meals, reflections from long-time clients, and comments from board members on the organisation’s role through multiple South African eras ,from the Great Depression to the present day.
4 July 2025 || TimesLive
“This gives us dignity”: The R2 meal that’s a lifeline in Cape Town
Author: Matthew Hirsch
A human-centred feature that follows guests and volunteers at the Service Dining Rooms, detailing how the R2 meal operates as both lifeline and dignified exchange. The story reports on daily meal numbers, funding sources, and first-hand accounts of how the kitchen supports people who would otherwise go hungry.
July 2025 || TableTalk
Cape Town’s Service Dining Rooms celebrate 90 years of feeding the vulnerable
Author: Fouzia Van Der Fort
Community press coverage of the 90th anniversary and related events, including a mural unveiling and local partner involvement. Good for local audience reach and community-level updates.
15 July 2025 || Cape Argus
Vibrant mural unveiled at The Service Dining Rooms in District 6
Author: Weekend Argus Reporter
A bold new mural by artist Gogga Dedevastator has been unveiled at The Service Dining Rooms in District Six, celebrating the organisation’s 90-year legacy. Featuring ocean imagery, Table Mountain and a soaring seagull, the artwork symbolises hope, heritage and SDR’s long-standing community partnerships.
30 August 2024 || People's Post
Cape Town’s oldest feeding scheme still serving the hungry after 85 years
Author: Kaylynne Bantom
For 85 years, The Service Dining Rooms has provided sit-down meals to hundreds of vulnerable people every weekday. The article highlights rising need, the dignity of the R2 meal model, and SDR’s ongoing reliance on donations.
8 Nov 2022 || Cape TownEtc
This soup kitchen has fed Cape Town’s unemployed since 1935
Author: Sarah du Toit
A background feature that traces the history and ongoing operations of the Service Dining Rooms, explaining the founding during the Depression and how the kitchen adapted through social and economic crises. Useful historical context for readers who want to understand the organisation’s long track record.
10 Mar 2020 || Daily Maverick
Lunch is served: The story of Cape Town’s Service Dining Rooms
Author: Karin Schimke
An in-depth profile capturing the kitchen’s atmosphere, volunteers, and the social role of the dining rooms in Cape Town’s inner city. The piece offers historical detail and extended reporting on how the project fits into the city’s fabric.
18 Dec 2018 || GroundUp
Serving hungry people for over 80 years
Author: Ashraf Hendricks
For more than 80 years, The Service Dining Rooms has provided daily cooked meals to thousands of vulnerable people in Cape Town. GroundUp highlights its long history, high meal demand, and the creative ways the public can support its work.