Hunger crisis — rights group calls for state action as 23% of South Africans struggle to access food
Civil society organisations are calling for amendments to the updated National Food and Nutrition Security Plan to address and monitor affordability and food pricing and give people economic access to nutritious food.
This is one of the recommendations in a new report by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (Seri). The report, launched on Tuesday at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, spotlights the struggles and the remedies people seek to put nutritious food on the table.
The report is titled Food for Thought: Reflections on Food (In)Security. Laws, Experiences, Interventions.
In the lead-up to its publication, Seri embarked on a #FoodJusticeWeek, during which it shared the experiences and coping strategies of partner organisations to highlight the impacts of food insecurity on the back of World Hunger Day.
'Seri stands in solidarity with communities around the country who experience hunger and food insecurity daily. Despite South Africa having the means to feed its population, millions still struggle to access sufficient and nutritious food,' the organisation said.
The report notes official statistics that paint a bleak picture. According to Statistics South Africa's General Household Survey published in 2023, 23.1% of households nationally – more than one in five – report inadequate or severely inadequate access to food. A 2023 study commissioned by the then Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council found that half of all adults in South Africa are considered overweight or obese, while 69% of adults who are obese live in households that are food insecure and therefore have little choice in the food they eat and its nutritional value.
'The triple burden of malnutrition exists in the country, which happens when undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and overnutrition exist simultaneously in society. Despite this, it is estimated that 10 million tonnes of food are wasted annually in South Africa, which constitutes about one-third of all available food. A disconnect exists between available food and those who struggle to access their next meal. Like the rest of the world, South Africa faces critical questions about how to produce food in a just and sustainable manner. Food wastage is not only a social and humanitarian concern, but also an environmental one,' the report reads.
The report recommends the drafting of national framework legislation, such as a 'Food and Nutrition Security Act', which will be in line with recommendations from United Nations General Comment No 12 on the Right to Adequate Food.
The report also highlights instances where the law has been used to compel the government to act on the right to food, including:
Ensuring pupils received meals through the National School Nutrition Programme during Covid-19 lockdowns;
Challenging barriers to access for the Social Relief of Distress Grant, linking to the right to social protection and food security; and
Upholding the rights of artisanal fishers to access marine resources.
The report also asserts that South Africa's National Policy on Food and Nutrition Security could help set out the roles and responsibilities of the different actors in relation to food security in South Africa, including an interdepartmental body with oversight responsibility.
Other recommendations include:
Implementation of a universal basic income grant;
The Department of Employment and Labour to monitor the implementation of the national minimum wage and develop effective enforcement mechanisms;
Civil society organisations and organisations and unions representing those in precarious work to keep advocating for a living wage; and
The Department of Employment and Labour to monitor the working conditions of those in precarious work, such as domestic workers and farm workers.
The research included case studies and anecdotes, including from a participant in a meeting in Slovo Park, who said: 'This hunger thing, it's changing our personality and it's changing our humanity. We have become like animals among each other. In order for me to have something in my stomach I have to do anything so that I don't go hungry.' DM
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'This diverts much-needed funding for enhancing the potential growth of the economy through infrastructure spending or for delivering on social services to maintain the overall standard of living for millions,' Packirisami told IOL. According to Sanish Packirisami, an economist at Momentum Investments, the most significant cost to the economy associated with unemployment is the strain that it puts on the fiscus, which must support an expanded social welfare programme . Youth unemployment is also incredibly costly to the economy. Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Social grants, necessitated by widespread unemployment, are a drain on the fiscus. South Africa's social welfare programme is believed to cost the Treasury around R285 billion per year. This funding includes the R370-per-month Social Relief of Distress grant that many unemployed youths apply for. Youth unemployment isn't simply a loss of productivity, it's also a loss of potential, says Dr Thabo Mashongoane, CEO of the Mining Qualifications Authority. 'Every unemployed young person represents a stalled contribution to GDP, a missed innovation, and in many cases, a future cost to the public through welfare or social assistance,' Mashongoane told IOL. Role of the informal sector While youth unemployment remains one of the most pressing challenges in South Africa, it is mitigated, to a degree, by the informal sector, says Maarten Ackerman, Chief Economist at Citadel. However, this situation also brings a set of unique challenges. 'While the informal economy is thriving and provides many youth with opportunities to earn a living, the downside is that these individuals lack access to formal financial services,' Ackerman said. 'For instance, without a payslip, it's much harder to qualify for a loan to buy a home or a car. This exclusion creates a significant gap in the economy.' 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Sibanyoni's study also uncovered that there is a common thread of early relationships with absent or unreliable caregivers that influences an individual's ability to form and maintain emotional bonds in adulthood. The lack of financial dependability on caregivers causes the young women to develop a dependency and need for security. Reacting to the insights from the NSMSA and Sibanyoni's findings, Siyabulela Monakali, spokesperson for Ilitha Labantu, an anti-GBVF movement, confirmed a "devastating and heartbreaking" link between high levels of youth unemployment and transactional sex. Monakali stated that this has made the situation unbearable for women and young girls. "South Africa's youth unemployment rate, currently at an alarming 63.9%, according to Stats SA, creates a harsh reality for many young women and girls, especially in townships and vulnerable communities. Without access to economic opportunities, they often face the impossible choice of relying on transactional sexual relationships to meet their basic needs. "What is deeply troubling is that perpetrators are fully aware of this vulnerability. They exploit young women's desperate situations, using their economic power to control and manipulate them. This is not a matter of choice or agency. It is a reflection of systemic failure to provide the economic and social safety nets that young women deserve," he said. Sibanyoni indicated that her research was influenced by social media trends amid the rise of the blesser culture over the last few years. "I was also intrigued by the use of the hashtag #blessed on social media platforms such as X and Facebook. I began to wonder who was 'blessing' the lifestyles of these young women. When I discovered that 'blessers' were financing or 'blessing' young women, I became curious about the psychological effects of these intergenerational sexual relationships (blesser-blessee relationships). This curiosity drove me to explore the phenomenon more deeply and gain a comprehensive understanding of its impact." Cape Argus
