Warning that food insecurity in SA is worsening and children are most affected

FoodForward SA’s State of Household Food Insecurity in South Africa Report 2026, produced with UCT’s Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, shows that 70% of surveyed households face moderate-to-severe food insecurity, while one in four go entire days without food. The Household Food Insecurity in South Africa Report is the result of an 18-month research partnership between FFSA and the UCT research unit that used internationally recognised tools, including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), to turn early warning signs into hard evidence about how food insecurity is causing mounting anxiety. Households with children, youth-headed households and those reliant on unstable or informal employment experienced higher severity and volatility of food insecurity. The key drivers for food insecurity were found to be employment shocks and rising food prices. ALSO READ: Half of SA population will be food insecure by 2025What can be done about food insecurity in SA?