Because “Do as I say, not as I do” doesn’t work here…
Let’s be honest – we’ve all worked with a boss who tells you food safety is the most important thing… right before they walk into the production area without a hairnet, sipping a coffee, cell phone in hand. 🙃
The truth? Leadership makes or breaks food safety culture.
You can have the best SOPs, the prettiest posters, and all the audits in the world – but if the leaders don’t walk the talk, the team won’t either.
So, let’s break it down, Mzansi-style, and get real about how leadership can either build a food safety culture that thrives… or one that crashes harder than your gate motor after load shedding (truth be told, we haven’t had a lot of that lately…) 🤞🏻
🧢 1. Leaders Set the Tone (Even When They’re Not Speaking)
In South Africa, we love a bit of banter – but when it comes to food safety, your team is watching what you do, not what you say.
If you:
- Skip hygiene steps
- Brush off audit findings
- Rush through team briefings like you’re chasing a rugby score
…your team notices. And they’ll copy you. Not because they don’t care – but because they’ll assume, “Well, if the boss doesn’t take it seriously, why should I?”
👉 Bottom line: If you want your team to care about food safety, you have to show them that you care first.
🧼 2. Culture Is Built in the Day-to-Day, not at the Year-End Braai
Food safety culture isn’t built during big events or training days only. It’s built in the micro-moments:
- The way a supervisor handles a non-conformance
- How a manager reacts when someone reports a mistake
- Whether the production team leader actually does hygiene checks, or just ticks the boxes
A leader who says, “thank you” when someone flags a risk is 10x more powerful than one who says, “You must follow the rules!” every week without backing it up.
👉 Pro tip: Want to see real change? Start noticing and rewarding small, safe behaviours. Publicly. Often.
📣 3. Communication: Not Just Buzzwords and Bullet Points
Food safety isn’t something you can hide in a boardroom or type in an email with too many CCs.
It’s something you have to talk about, clearly, regularly, and in a way that your people actually understand.
That means:
- Speaking in plain language (cut the jargon – no one cares if it’s clause 4.1.2)
- Encouraging questions, not shutting them down
- Being open about why certain rules matter, even when it’s uncomfortable
👉 Remember: A good leader doesn’t just give instructions. They create understanding.
👂 4. Listening Is Leading Too
Want to know what’s really going wrong with your hygiene practices? Ask the people doing the work.
You might discover:
- Gloves that tear too easily
- Sinks with broken taps
- Cleaning schedules that clash with production flow
And if you ask – and actually act on what you hear – you’re not just building food safety. You’re building trust.
👉 In South Africa, we have a saying: “‘n Boer maak ‘n plan.” Sometimes, your team already has the solution – you just need to listen.
😬 5. No More “Don’t Let the Auditor See That”
This one’s spicy. If your culture is built around putting on a show for audits, you’re doing it wrong.
Audits should reflect your everyday operations, not your drama skills.
Great leaders say, “Let’s fix this now,” not “Hide it until next week.”
👉 The goal? A food safety culture that doesn’t rely on fear – but on pride, ownership, and continuous improvement.
💥 In Summary: Shape or Sink?
Leadership has two choices:
✅ Create a culture of responsibility, pride, and purpose
❌ OR… Create a culture of shortcuts, cover-ups, and chaos
You don’t need a title to be a leader. Whether you’re a team leader, a floor supervisor, or the person training new staff – you set the tone.
Every decision. Every conversation. Every action.
So, what kind of culture are you building?
Food safety isn’t a checklist. It’s a mindset. And it starts with leaders who lead with example – not excuses.
Let’s raise the bar. Let’s raise each other. Let’s raise safer food for South Africa.
👀 Ever seen a manager shout about food safety… while sipping coffee on the production floor without a hairnet?
Yup. We’ve all been there.