SA’s food insecurity crisis

Nine million three hundred and forty thousand, that’s how many South Africans went hungry in 2023. Behind this number are parents going to bed on empty stomachs so their children can eat. In Gauteng, the country’s economic engine, food insecurity germinates in the shadow of prosperity. According to Gauteng MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Vuyiswa Ramokgopa this crisis is not about food shortages, South Africa produces enough food to feed its population. The problem lies in distribution, affordability, availability and accessibility. And nowhere is this failure clearer than in the staggering amount of food that goes to waste. Phemelo is in conversation with Ramokgopa about this complex issue that is faced by many South Africans.