The crisis is most severe in the Eastern Cape, with many child-headed households and high child poverty rates
By Mapaballo Borotho
There is a food security crisis in South Africa, and this is according to the 2024 General Household Survey report.
The report revealed that in 2024 alone, 1.4 million people in South Africa went to bed hungry, representing 22% of households in the country.
Of these 22%, most of the households are headed by women and children.
In an investigation by the South African Human Rights Commission, the Eastern Cape accounts for higher levels of poverty and more households that are led by children.
Human Rights Commission spokesperson, Wisani Baloyi, says approximately 53% of children in the province live below the poverty line.
“There are more than 100 children (aged between 5–10) who died in the Eastern Cape because of this challenge. As a country, we must be worried because these numbers show that people are not able to afford food.
This means that Section 27, which speaks about the right to sufficient food, is being violated or facing serious challenges, and everyone who understands the scale of this challenge should be worried,” said Baloyi.
Baloyi says the country’s food crisis does not only affect the poor, as even employed people cannot afford nutritious food due to skyrocketing prices.
They end up buying food that has the potential to cause chronic illnesses such as Sugar Diabetes.
“However, children are heavily affected, and this directly impacts their development. Their right to dignity is also affected,” he said.
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A 2025 Child Gauge Report from the University of Cape Town revealed that South Africa’s child support grant is not enough to meet the basic needs of children amid the country’s rising cost of living.
Children under 18 who qualify for a social grant currently receive R580 per month, well below the R796 per person minimum needed to afford adequate nutrition.
Experts also revealed that child poverty rates have worsened since COVID-19, with more than 75% of children in some provinces living below the poverty line.
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