South Africa’s 2025 Food Security Index paints a complex picture of resilience and inequality, showing that while rural communities, especially female-headed households, are finding ways to cope with hunger, urban families continue to struggle against rising food poverty.
According to the index, compiled by the Shoprite Group, hunger has increased slightly among female-headed households in urban areas, where producing food is much more difficult.
“Hunger is rising among female-headed households in towns and cities, where producing food is less feasible. Rural female-headed households reported less hunger and better diet quality, probably by growing food or using local sources,” the index said.
The report praised the resilience of rural women who are turning to self-sufficiency through small-scale farming and local food networks to feed their families.
Stats SA’s 2024 General Household Survey revealed that 42.4% of South African households were headed by women, with the highest prevalence in rural provinces such as the Eastern Cape with 48.8% and KwaZulu-Natal with 46.8%.
Gauteng had the lowest rate of female-headed households at 37.3%.
Over time, education and higher incomes help families become more aware of nutrition and choose healthier foods. Education is strongly linked to better nutrition, helping families make healthier food choices
— Shoprite
The survey also noted a sharp rise in the number of people relying on social grants from 12.8% in 2003 to 40.1% in 2024, which was largely driven by the introduction of the Covid-19 social relief of distress grant.
Despite ongoing challenges, Shoprite’s chief sustainability officer Sanjeev Raghubir said there were signs of cautious optimism.
“The SA Food Security Index has risen to 56.5, up from 44.9 in 2023. While this improvement is encouraging, it remains below the 2019 score of 65.8, when hunger levels were notably lower,” he said.
He noted that food price inflation had eased with the group’s own prices increasing by just 2.3% in the 2025 financial year.
“More than 13,300 products in our shops were cheaper than in the previous year, providing significant relief to constrained consumers. Many of our affordable offerings — including R99 food combos, R5 deli meals and R5 loaves of bread — are subsidised and have helped ease the burden of hunger for millions.”
Raghubir said these interventions had a tangible effect.
“To illustrate the scale, the 27.7-million loaves of R5 bread sold in 2025 would stretch from Cape Town nearly all the way to London. Through our Xtra Savings rewards programme, we’ve saved customers R55bn in cash since 2019, further supporting South African households.”
Food insecurity remains deeply entrenched, he said. “The causes of food insecurity are complex and multifaceted, rooted in economic conditions, government and agricultural policy, international price pressures and other factors beyond the control of any single food retailer.”
According to Unicef’s 2024 Child Food Poverty Report, 23% of South African children live in severe food poverty, placing the country among 20 nations that together account for 65% of children affected worldwide
The index, which ranges from 0 (severe food insecurity) to 100 (excellent food security), recorded a value of 56.5 in 2024. While values above 50 indicate relative food stability, the figure still signals that millions remain at risk.
“Some provinces, such as Limpopo, fare surprisingly well in the 2025 index. The index deteriorated substantially in the Northern Cape from the 40–50 range in 2019 to the 10–20 range in 2023, before improving in 2024,” the report said.
According to the index, many other provinces, such as the Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, started with higher food security levels in 2019 but experienced sharp declines towards 2023. All provinces except the Eastern Cape experienced improvements in 2024.
The index’s release timed for World Food Day on Thursday seeks to raise awareness about food insecurity and malnutrition.
According to Unicef’s 2024 Child Food Poverty Report, 23% of South African children live in severe food poverty, placing the country among 20 nations that together account for 65% of children affected worldwide.
Shoprite called for a collaborative approach to tackle hunger. Raghubir said the government, private sector and communities must work together to implement comprehensive solutions, such as:
- strengthening school feeding programmes;
- considering food vouchers and grants for pregnant women and early childhood centres;
- expanding access to vegetable gardens; and
- fostering sustained economic growth.
It also linked education to long-term nutrition outcomes.
“Over time, education and higher incomes help families become more aware of nutrition and choose healthier foods. Education is strongly linked to better nutrition, helping families make healthier food choices.”
TimesLIVE
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