Food insecurity in South Africa continues to rise, despite the country being a net food exporter and achieving a bumper maize harvest this year. According to Statistics South Africa’s (Stats SA) 2024 General Household Survey, released earlier this year, 19.7% of South Africans were food insecure in 2023—equivalent to roughly one in every five people. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reports that nearly 28.9% of the global population experienced moderate to severe food insecurity in 2024.
World Food Day, observed annually on 16 October, carried the theme “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future,” highlighting the need for governments, industries, and communities to collaborate to achieve zero hunger. The FAO defines food security as having consistent physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets daily needs and supports an active, healthy life.
Stats SA data indicates that moderate to severe food insecurity in South Africa has been rising steadily, from 15.8% of households in 2019 to 16.2% in 2022, and 19.7% in 2023. Severe food insecurity similarly increased from 6.4% in 2019 to 8% in 2023. These numbers illustrate that national food availability does not automatically guarantee food and nutrition security. Even in years of good harvests, many households cannot access food that meets their nutritional requirements, particularly in vulnerable communities.
Willie Jacobs, CEO of Potatoes SA, emphasised the importance of addressing nutritional quality in food programs, noting that FAO’s call for partnerships is highly relevant to South Africa’s efforts to combat childhood malnutrition. Potatoes SA recently conducted a proof-of-concept trial demonstrating the nutritional benefits of including potatoes in meals provided to children through the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP). Currently, potatoes are not part of the NSNP menu, which is determined by the Department of Basic Education. Jacobs highlighted that for many children, the NSNP meal represents their only substantial food of the day, making its nutritional value essential.
Addressing food insecurity in South Africa requires not just sufficient calories but access to nutrient-dense foods. Incorporating versatile staples like potatoes into school feeding schemes could play a meaningful role in improving childhood nutrition and supporting broader food security objectives across the country.
