Every day, one billion meals are wasted while millions of people go to bed on empty stomachs, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Food waste represents a misalignment between resource use and the unrealised environmental, social and economic gains. Preventing food waste prioritises retaining edible food within the human food supply chain. Yet evidence on the impact of surplus food recovery and redistribution in SSA remains critically scarce. This chapter examines trends in surplus food redistribution and assesses its potential to reduce food waste and support vulnerable communities. The analysis focuses on FoodForward South Africa, Lagos Food Bank Initiative (Nigeria), Food Banking Kenya, Food Bank Botswana and Haba na Haba Food Bank (Uganda). We synthesise grey literature and publicly available datasets (2019–2024) to produce a descriptive trend analysis of food distributed and surplus recovered. Findings reveal a general upward trajectory in food distribution, with a marked spike during the COVID-19 period. The food banks’ roles during the pandemic demonstrate resilience, flexibility and adaptability. Surplus recovery is growing but uneven and under-reported, constraining cross-country comparability. Targeted programmes for lactating and nursing mothers, patients, schoolchildren and senior individuals indicate effective need-based relief. Enabling policies, targeted investments and sustained public awareness and education can jointly scale food donation and recovery efforts, thereby advancing food security while reducing waste.