Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
4 March 2025 | 14:20 CAT
3 min read

South Africa is grappling with a worsening food insecurity crisis, with 63.5 percent of households struggling to access adequate nutrition. Despite various social grants and feeding programs spearheaded by the government and private sector, malnutrition rates remain alarmingly high, particularly among children. Experts argue that lowering the cost of a nutritious food basket is essential to addressing this crisis.

Professor Julian May, Director of the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS) at the University of the Western Cape, emphasised the severity of the situation in an interview with Radio Islam International. Citing the latest food and nutrition security survey conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council, he noted that food insecurity remains very high. “People are concerned about feeding their family. They are concerned about how they feed their children. They are having to skip meals, and they are having to change what they are eating, often to less nutritious options,” he explained.

Social grants and school feeding programs play a crucial role in alleviating hunger, yet they fall short in addressing malnutrition, particularly in early childhood. Professor May stressed the importance of focusing on the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, a period critical for immune system development and cognitive growth.

Although the Child Support Grant is intended to assist families in providing for young children, its value has not kept pace with inflation, making it increasingly inadequate. “The grant in real terms is actually getting smaller and able to buy less food that the child needs. And then there is an even more important period where no grants are received whatsoever, and this is when women are pregnant and carrying the child. Here, again, very rapid human development is taking place, but there is no grant whatsoever. Even before they are born, children are suffering from food insecurity,” he added.

One of the key solutions proposed is making staple, nutritious foods more affordable. South Africa has an abundance of fresh produce, yet many households cannot afford to purchase these healthier options. Instead, they rely on energy-dense foods that provide immediate satiety but lack essential nutrients. “If you put yourself in the position of a mother trying to deal with a child that is hungry, that mother is going to reach for food that very quickly satisfies the child, that stops the child from crying. Typically, that would be energy-dense food, say, porridge made out of maize meal. But those products contain very little nutritional value, and that is where the problem is,” Professor May explained.

While fresh vegetables and fruits are available in many townships, their cost remains a significant barrier. Additionally, some municipalities discourage street vendors selling these healthier options, viewing them as an issue rather than a potential solution to food insecurity. “Many municipalities still think that people selling fruit and vegetables on the side of the street is a problem rather than a solution to our food security issue. I think we really do need a way of thinking very differently about South Africa’s food system and recognise the importance of eating fruits and vegetables,” he stated.

Professor May highlighted the importance of making better use of public land for food production, such as school gardens that can serve both students and the surrounding community. “Interventions such as establishing food gardens at schools, where the food is not only fed to the children but can also be available and sold outside the school, are the kinds of solutions we can think about. We also need our local authorities to think differently about the food system and to recognise that by growing food themselves, people are trying to make a solution to their own issues,” he said.

Professor May also pointed to successful international models, such as Brazil’s food security programs, which simultaneously provide affordable food and support small-scale farmers. He suggested that a similar approach could be implemented in South Africa, where both the government and private sector contribute to making nutritious food more affordable. “There are also ideas about trying to have a double discount where the state and the private sector come to the table together and agree that a healthy basket of food is not only supported by government interventions but also that the private sector discounts it to make it more affordable as part of their contribution towards achieving food security in South Africa,” he said.

With food insecurity affecting millions of South African households, urgent action is needed to address both affordability and accessibility. Experts stress that collaborative efforts from the government, private sector, and civil society will be crucial in tackling malnutrition and ensuring that every child has access to a healthy and nourishing diet.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Junaid Kharsany and UWC Professor Julian May, Director of the DSI-NRF CoE-FS, here.