How the Western Cape is uniting to combat hunger

WHEN looking at the wealth in our cities and the beauty of our landscapes, it can be easy to forget that in many corners of the Western Cape, hunger remains a daily reality of life.

- WENDY KAIZER-PHILANDER

Something so basic, so fundamental, still plagues the lives of thousands of our citizens.

The General Households Survey published by Statistics South Africa in 2021 revealed a disturbing reality: that almost 250 000 households in Cape Town experienced hunger.

These are not just numbers. They are children going to bed with empty stomachs. They are elderly citizens choosing between food and medicine. They are families losing hope.

Food insecurity

And the problem is even more pressing in rural municipalities. In places like Saldanha, Oudtshoorn, Prince Albert, and Beaufort West, more than 40% of residents are food insecure. That means they cannot afford the minimum food needed for basic energy intake.

In Matzikama, Theewaterskloof, and other rural regions, the rates are alarmingly high as well. Behind every percentage point is a human story of struggle mothers stretching a single meal for an entire day, children falling behind in school because hunger robs them of focus and strength. This is the harsh reality of food insecurity in the Western Cape.

But amid this bleak picture, there is also movement, action, and compassion.