JOHANNESBURG - As Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana prepares to table the 2026 Budget, food insecurity remains one of South Africa’s most pressing challenges.
Research by Stellenbosch University shows that 63 percent of households do not have enough food, despite nearly 17,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables being discarded annually at wholesale markets.
The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) says this contradiction highlights the urgent need for targeted budget interventions.
While South Africa produces enough food, rising prices and stagnant incomes are pushing millions deeper into hunger.
Food prices have increased by 69 percent over the past five years, according to the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity (PMBEJD), while the minimum wage has risen by just 31 percent over the same period.
With households under pressure, attention is turning to whether the Budget will expand the list of zero-rated food items or introduce additional relief measures to cushion vulnerable families.
Currently, zero-rated foods include brown bread, maize meal, samp, rice, powdered dairy products, milk, vegetable oil and eggs.