A steep drop in Mzansi’s food security has sent shockwaves through economists and Africa’s largest food retailer, Shoprite, igniting urgent calls for bold policy interventions to tackle hunger and malnutrition head-on.
The South African Food Security Index 2024, authored by Stellenbosch University’s Professor Dieter von Fintel and Dr Anja Smith, paints a grim picture, showing that food security dropped from a score of 64.9 in 2019 to 45.3 in 2023.
The index measures four key dimensions of food security – availability, access, utilisation, and stability – from 2012 to 2023, providing a baseline to assess the nation’s food security annually.
Sanjeev Raghubir, chief sustainability officer of the Shoprite Group, says the findings are especially troubling, with child hunger emerging as a persistent issue.
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“One of the most concerning observations drawn from the Index is that child hunger remains a major issue. As many as one in four children are stunted, which is alarming given South Africa’s level of economic development.”
Worsening hunger across households
The index further reveals that more South Africans faced food insecurity in 2023 than at any point in the previous decade, with some of the most vulnerable populations bearing the brunt:
- One in four of the poorest households reported that children in their homes went hungry in 2023.
- Female-headed households remain more vulnerable to hunger, with 16.7% experiencing hunger in rural areas and 11.9% in urban areas, compared to male-headed households at 12.5% (rural) and 8.7% (urban).
- Food variety also declined, with 11.8% of households reporting that they consumed a narrower range of foods due to economic constraints.
Raghubir notes the importance of understanding these gaps to inform better decision-making.
“As Africa’s largest food retailer, Shoprite commissioned the South African Food Security Index 2024 to enable a deeper understanding of food insecurity and guide us in creating meaningful interventions.”
Declining food availability and regional disparities
The index also highlights significant disparities in food security across provinces. While Limpopo has performed relatively well, the Eastern Cape slipped into “poor” territory by 2023, reflecting deeper food access challenges.
At a national level, food availability declined from a peak of 2.8 tonnes of raw food per person per year in 2017 to 2.6 tonnes in 2022.
Von Fintel and Smith outline several recommendations to improve food security, with a focus on early childhood nutrition and targeted support for vulnerable households. They stress the importance of prioritising the first 1 000 days of a child’s life to prevent stunting and long-term health complications.
“Early childhood development centres and learning programs must be equipped with protein-rich foods, such as eggs, chicken, and peanut butter, to ensure children receive the nutrition they need,” the economists argue.
The report also calls on National Treasury to zero-rate VAT on key protein-rich foods used by low-income households. “Adding affordable protein sources to the VAT-exempt list is essential to help households access healthier food,” Von Fintel and Smith urge.
They point to the success of food gardens in rural provinces, such as Limpopo and Mpumalanga, during the early 2000s. They recommend that the government support more household gardens growing vegetables and fruits to provide consistent access to nutritious food.
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