Food security

HSRC survey says few South Africans are food secure

South Africa faces a deepening malnutrition crisis, with more than 60% of households suffering some form of food insecurity and more than 40% unable to afford nutritious items, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has found.

The HSRC’s National Food and Nutrition Security Survey represents the first in-depth, nationwide study on food and nutrition since 1994. The survey was conducted from 2021 to 2023 and covered 34 500 households.

The survey was released in August and officially launched this month by agriculture minister John Steenhuisen. He said the HSRC data would enable more targeted government interventions to combat household food insecurity.

The survey highlighted the fact that, while food secure at a national level, there is widespread food insecurity and hunger at household level. It found that only 36.5% of households were food secure.

Most households suffer food insecurity.

  • 17.5% of households are severely food insecure, frequently facing reductions in meal sizes, skipping meals, or going hungry.
  • 26.7% experience moderate food insecurity, where they often eat low-quality food and occasionally reduce their food intake.
  • 19.3% are mildly food insecure, worried about food availability and quality but without needing to significantly reduce their intake.

The HSRC found that many low-income households are unable to afford nutritious food.

“These results show that food security is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed both in urban and rural communities,” the HSRC report said.