One in five South African families are sending someone out to beg: research

One in five households is resorting to begging as empty stomachs plague families, according to research by Wits University.

A study by the Johannesburg institution has looked at the various coping mechanisms being employed by food-insecure South Africans and the impact these — often considered socially unacceptable — are having on mental health.

Begging, it turns out, is something they are resorting to and this is fuelling a mental health crisis.

The researchers looked at a nationally representative sample of 3,402 adults, weighted to 39,640,674 households.

They found that more than one-fifth are food-insecure, with those most affected being from the lowest socioeconomic groups. 

All coping strategies are used to some extent in South African households, with 46% relying on less preferred and cheaper foods, and 21% sending a household member out to beg for food. 

While anxiety and depression were observed among all coping strategies, they found “begging for food was associated with the highest odds”.

The paper, by Wits’s DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, was published in the journal Public Health Nutrition and breaks new ground — food insecurity is well documented in South Africa, but the impact of coping strategies on mental health has not been adequately studied.  

“Food insecurity remains a major health concern in South Africa and poorer households are always disproportionately affected,” says lead author Dr Siphiwe Dlamini.

Food insecurity remains a major health threat in South Africa. Public measures to address mental health should consider reductions in food insecurity as part of their strategy.

The findings suggest begging for food may be the most harmful coping strategy and is linked with the highest risk for anxiety and depression.

“The findings demonstrated that living in a food-insecure household was associated with a higher risk of anxiety and depression. This confirms what has been suggested by several studies, particularly during Covid-19, that an increase in food insecurity and depressive symptoms may be related,” says Dlamini.

The study also showed how food security varied by province, race, income and education. 

The Eastern Cape showed the highest levels of food insecurity (32%). 

The most affected were those who were uneducated, unemployed and received a low monthly income. 

Food insecurity was much more common among coloured (24%) and black (23%) people compared with white (5%) and Asian (4%) ethnic groups.

“These large differences in food insecurity rates have been attributed to former apartheid regime policies that led to racial discrimination, geographic segregation and other unsustainable settlement patterns,” notes Dlamini.

The researchers concluded: “Food insecurity remains a major health threat in South Africa. Public measures to address mental health should consider reductions in food insecurity as part of their strategy.”