More than 23% of South African Households Don’t Have Enough Food

• A report revealed that South African households are facing a shortage of food
• The report, titled Food for Thought: Reflections on Food Insecurity, revealed that the country does not have enough food
• This is caused by rising food prices and structural inequalities, and South Africans agreed

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests, and immigration in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG — Almost a quarter of the South African population is struggling to have enough food to last them for a month. This is according to a report released by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI) on 3 June 2025.

South Africans struggling to eat

According to TimesLIVE, SERI released a report entitled Food for Thought: Reflections on Food Insecurity, which aimed at gaining a better understanding of how vulnerable communities experience food insecurity and hunger. The report discovered that economic access is the biggest barrier to accessing nutritious food.

The report, which partnership with organisations that represent recyclers, domestic workers, residents of informal settlements, and informal workers. found that low wages, the rising prices of food impact people's abilities to afford enough food.

SERI discovered that many households access food in dire economic circumstances through food aid. Households also drift in and out of hunger during the month as their decisions on food are based on income.

Food prices in South Africa

In 2024, a survey 1Life Insurance conducted a survey and found that South Africans have resorted to living from paycheck to paycheck. More than 50% of the respondents revealed that they take loans or salary advances to buy food and survive monthly.

The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity's April 2025 Household Affordability Index showed that consumers spend an average of R5,420 to fill up a food basket. It was discovered that the minimum wage for general workers was not enough to feed their families.

Nerixrns saddened

Netizens commenting on TimesLIVE's X post were disheartened by the figures.

Sthamber said:

"South Africa is wealthy, yet its people do not have enough food to eat. It's another level of madness."

Bong'kosi said:

"That time, we have the biggest economy on the continent. We're a special kind of country."

Sokhulu said:

"And we will continue to starve thanks to the finance minister and treasury."

Patric Fizzo said:

"Compliments to the ANC government."

Rahul SA said:

"You needed a study for this? Just take a walk around your community across the train lines, or go to any township in South Africa, and you'll easily witness the horrifying reality."

South Africans emotional after seeing food prices from 10 years ago

In a related article, Briefly News reported that South Africans reminisced on food prices from 2015. A video comparing food prices on a pamphlet from a shop 10 years ago to a food pamphlet in 2025 went viral.

Consumers were surprised that a food combo with different items cost R300. Some joked that the economy was better under former president Jacob Zuma.

Source: Briefly News