Sustainable food choices on campus

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is committed to promoting sustainable and inclusive dining options across its campuses, ensuring that all members of the university community have access to diverse and nutritious meals. This commitment is evident through various initiatives and facilities that cater to a wide range of dietary preferences, including vegetarian and vegan options.

The Kerzner@UJ

At the heart of UJ’s culinary offerings is The Kerzner@UJ, a hub for culinary, special events, and hospitality services located on the Auckland Park Bunting Road Campus. This centre encompasses several dining venues that prioritise sustainability and cater to diverse dietary needs:

• The Design Café: Situated adjacent to the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA), The Design Café is renowned for its ethically sourced specialty coffees and light snacks. The café emphasises sustainability by partnering with smallholder coffee farmers across Africa, ensuring traceability and fair practices. While primarily a beverage venue, it offers light sandwiches and snacks suitable for various dietary preferences. 
• The Waterford Restaurant: Located within The Kerzner Building, this premier dining venue serves breakfast and lunch to the campus community. The Waterford Restaurant is dedicated to health and wellness, incorporating African indigenous meals and offering a variety of dishes, including vegetarian and vegan options. Their lunch buffet, available on weekdays from 12:00 to 14:00, features a range of nutritious choices to accommodate different dietary requirements. 

UJ School of Tourism and Hospitality (STH) Madibeng Restaurant

The STH Madibeng Restaurant is another notable establishment on campus, providing a diverse menu that includes vegetarian and vegan options. The restaurant regularly updates its “Meal of the Day” menus, ensuring a variety of choices that cater to different dietary needs. Additionally, the takeaway sandwich and salad menu offers quick and healthy options for those on the go. 

Sustainable Food Initiatives

Beyond providing diverse dining options, UJ actively engages in sustainable food practices through its Centre for Ecological Intelligence (CEI). The CEI focuses on teaching individuals to produce their own food, starting within the university and extending to urban and peri-urban communities. Projects include aquaponics, hydroponics, and agroecology, all aimed at promoting food security and sustainability. 

Through these comprehensive efforts, the University of Johannesburg not only offers a variety of sustainable food choices, including vegetarian and vegan options, but also fosters a culture of health, wellness, and environmental responsibility within its community.

The Design Café

“Adjoining the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA), the Design Café is well placed.

A hive of student creative energy and zest, the café is known for its designer coffees of origin. Grab a cuppa on the go, or sit back and enjoy your hot beverage with a light sandwich or snack.

In recognising that the majority of smallholder coffee farmers on the African continent are kept poverty stricken due to a lack of market access and production resources. The specialty coffee beans are ethically sourced through various partnerships from country of origin, traceable to the farms and cooperatives that grow them. This provides for a much more sustainable system of production for the farmers in the respective regions.”