Households worry about food running out before month-end

The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in disruptions in food supply chains and production systems.

A report surrounding food security in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) outlines how various households in the province worry about their food running out before they can get money to buy more.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development together with the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) put together the report with the intention to address food security risks.

No money to buy more food

In KZN’s uGu District, 48.2% of households often worried about their food running out before they could get money to buy more.

According to the report, 42.5% of households in Zululand reported that their food often ran out and they did not have money to buy more.

“During the covid-19 period, most households were unable to eat healthy and nutritious foods, where 38.6% of the respondents in the Zululand District reported that oftentimes they were unable to eat healthy and nutritious food,” note the report.

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The report also covers households that could not access affordable food during the pandemic. Most households in Zululand experienced this due to affordable food markets shutting down during the national lockdown.

Household heads skip meals

uMgungundlovu reported the highest number, at 19.8%, of household heads who often skipped a meal. In eThekwini Metro Municipality, 44.1% of household heads never had to skip meals.

“This is also attributable to the fact that these are not major food crop-producing districts since they mostly rely on formal employment, in the commercial agricultural sector, services sector, aviation, manufacturing, mining, and tourism; hence households would rely entirely on buying food which was limited due to restricted markets and high food price.”

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The report reveals that it was exceedingly rare for the household heads to go without eating for the entire day. “However, in Zululand District, the households’ heads (22.3%) had reported that they often went a full day without consuming food during the COVID-19 pandemic,” reads the report.

Loans to make ends meet

The DebtBusters’ Q2 2024 Debt Index paints a picture that shows South Africans make use of loans in an attempt to survive.

“82% of people who applied for debt counselling during the quarter had a personal loan. A further 53% had one-month loans. These payday loans have become a lifeline for many households, but are very expensive with interest rates often in excess of 25% per annum,” added Benay Sager, executive head of DebtBusters.

The reasons behind South Africans getting loans continuously include increased electricity tariffs, the high costs of fuel, and the impact of inflation. All three indicators place additional pressure on South Africans’ pockets.