# Food security in South Africa deteriorated in 2025, with 12-percent of households reporting hunger while 14.7-percent of individuals experienced hunger. This is according to the South African Food Security Index 2026 commissioned by the Shoprite Group. The country’s overall food security score fell to 52.6 last year from 56.5 in 2024. This is because food inflation has reduced the availability of food, while access and dietary diversity remained stable. Shoprite Group’s Sanjeev Raghubir says rising electricity, transport, and other essential costs are eroding household budgets, so support must reach beyond the food basket.
South African household vulnerability to hunger reached its highest level since 2010 last year