Social Development

The latest data source used by the Department of Social Development is the 2020 General Household Survey (GHS 2020) published by Statistics SA in 2021. The data is self-reported by the head of the household. The following is reported in this dataset:

(a) (i)  Child hunger

• Households reporting insufficient food: 13% of children in the province are living in households reporting insufficient food;

• Households reporting skipping meals due to insufficient funds/resources for food: 21% of the children in the province are living in households reporting that meals were skipped due to there being insufficient funds/resources for food; and 74% of the children skipping meals did so for five or more days in the month before enumeration.

• Households reporting eating less than they would consider adequate due to insufficient funds/resources for food: 21% of children live in households reporting that they are eating less than adequate food due to insufficient funds/resources for food; and 65% of children eating less than adequate food due to insufficient funds/resources for food did so on five or more days in the month before enumeration.

• Households reporting that they ran out of food: 24% of the province’s children live in households reporting that they ran out of food to feed their children in the past month; and 59% reported it happening on five or more days in the month before enumeration.

• Household reporting that they lacked a variety of food due to insufficient funds/resources for food: 28% of the province’s children live in households reporting a lack of variety of food due to insufficient funds/resources to buy food; and 66% reported it happening on five or more days in the month before enumeration.

 (a) (ii) Food poverty:

 Households reporting insufficient food: 10% of the total population are living in households reporting insufficient food,

• Households reporting skipping meals due to insufficient funds/resources for food:  20% of the total population live in households reporting that meals were skipped due to there being insufficient funds/resources for food; and 67% of the total population skipping meals did so for five or more days in the month before enumeration.
• Households reporting eating less than they would consider adequate due to insufficient funds/resources for food: 18% of the total population live in households reporting that they are eating less than adequate food due to insufficient funds/resources for food; and 61% of the total population eating less than adequate food due to insufficient funds/resources for food did so on five or more days in the month before enumeration.

• Households reporting that they ran out of food:  22% of the province’s total population live in households reporting that they ran out of food to feed themselves in the past month; and 60% reported it happening on five or more days in the month before enumeration.
• Household reporting that they lacked a variety of food due to insufficient funds/resources for food:  25% of the province’s total population live in households reporting a lack of variety of food due to insufficient funds/resources to buy food; and 60% reported it happening on five or more days in the month before enumeration.

 (b) What programmes does her Department have to deal with it

Within DSD the following programmes are dealing with child hunger and food poverty:

1.        The Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Partial Care

This programme provides 40 % of the equitable share and conditional grant subsidies for food to the children.

2. Community Nutrition and Development Centres (CNDCs)

As part of its programmes to support vulnerable children and families, the CNDCs provide nutritional support to households experiencing food insecurity which provide 30% of the equitable share to provide nutritional support to children. Utilizing a targeted feeding approach, cooked meals will be provided to qualifying beneficiaries at established feeding sites across the province.

3. Community based kitchens

Community kitchens are supported to complement existing feeding services, particularly in rural communities.

4. Social Protection Programmes

Other social protection programmes include facilitating the creation of work opportunities through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The EPWP is a key Departmental programme providing poverty and income relief through temporary work opportunities for the unemployed and is an important avenue for income transfers to poor households in the short- to medium-term.

(c) What is the detailed expenditure breakdown

The expenditure in respect of ECD and Partial Care are as follows

 (i) R95 million – 2019/20

(ii) R110 million – 2020/21

(iii) R115 million – 2021/22

Sustainable Livelihoods and Poverty expenditure

The above programme deals with food relief and general support to community-based kitchens and Expanded Public Works Programme:

(i) R34 487 million – 2019/20

(ii) R131 005 million – 2020/21

(iii) R52 651 000 (excluding EPWP of R 5 283 000 = R57 934 000) – 2021/22