How food insecurity impacts academic success

CONTRARY to the stereotype of universities as bastions of privilege, studies show a different and often grim reality for many South African students.

- Dr Kgadi Mathabathe

At universities across the country, levels of food insecurity range from 11% to 38%, which means a significant portion of our future leaders are trying to study on an empty stomach or are distracted from their books by worries over where their next meal will come from.

As South Africa and the world commemorate Mandela Month and emulate the spirit of giving that characterised South Africa's first democratically elected president, it is an opportune time to throw a renewed spotlight onto a silent crisis that many of us are not even aware of.

Food insecurity is not just about empty stomachs: it impacts mental health, concentration, attendance, retention and even dropout rates.

For those who have enough to eat, the benefits are clear: students who are not hungry are nearly twice as likely to progress academically.

For the up to 38% facing a degree of food insecurity, lack of adequate nutrition deepens the cycle of inequality, especially among African and first-generation students, undermining the very mission of higher education as a ladder for social mobility.

Fighting food insecurity on campus