FoodForward SA (FFSA) has released its flagship State of Household Food Insecurity in South Africa Report 2026, exposing the scale and severity of food insecurity in households that already rely on local community kitchens for food support.
The report is the result of an 18-month research partnership between FFSA and the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU) at the University of Cape Town. Using internationally recognised tools, including the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), the study turns early warning signs into hard evidence about how food insecurity is causing mounting anxiety.
The research is based on interviews with heads of 796 households that regularly receive food through FFSA’s network of beneficiary organisations across the country. The findings show that food insecurity is increasing, is severe and persistent, even with food assistance programmes in place.
Widespread, severe and chronic
The report finds that around 70% of surveyed households experience moderate-to-severe food insecurity, and that roughly one in four households live in severe conditions where they go an entire day without food.
These patterns are reflected across both the 12-month and 30-day reference periods, indicating chronic, structural vulnerability rather than short-term shocks. This is unfolding in a country that produces enough food overall, but where rising prices, unemployment, and stagnant incomes are pushing families beyond the brink.
“This study shows, with painful clarity, that the food insecurity many South Africans live with is not occasional – it is a daily reality, even for families who are already receiving food support,” says Andy Du Plessis, MD of FoodForward SA. “Behind every percentage is a household juggling impossible choices between food, transport, medication and debt.”
Children on the frontline
Children are disproportionately affected. The data shows that most children in the sample live in moderately food-insecure homes, with one third facing severe hunger.
In the report, adults in many households report skipping meals so that children or partners can eat, and 77.8% say they speak directly to children about the lack of food. Hunger is therefore both a material and emotional reality, shaping family conversations and children’s sense of security.
Evidence for policy and action
The Household Food Insecurity Report 2026 is intended to guide government, donors and implementing partners in responding to this ongoing crisis.
The findings point to the need for:
- Child-focused interventions, including early-childhood nutrition programmes;
- Geographically targeted support, such as community kitchens serving entire households;
- Time-sensitive food or voucher assistance for the most vulnerable; and
- Protective safety nets that prevent food-related debt and erosion of wellbeing.
“If we are serious about protecting children and stabilising households, we must move beyond short-term relief to coordinated, evidence-based responses,” says Du Plessis. “This report gives us a clear baseline for the kind of targeted action South Africa now urgently needs.”