Idokhumenti yemininingwane: I-UBIG nendlala

This fact sheet from the Institute for Economic Justice argues that hunger and food insecurity in South Africa are primarily driven by a lack of income rather than a lack of food production. It proposes a Universal Basic Income Guarantee (UBIG) as a key mechanism to ensure all citizens can afford nutritious food, thereby breaking cycles of poverty and malnutrition.

• Food insecurity in South Africa is caused by insufficient income and unequal distribution rather than a lack of food production, as the country produces enough food to feed all its inhabitants.
• Official data indicates significant levels of hunger: in 2023, 23.1% of households had limited access to food, and 13.5% of households reported at least one member experiencing hunger.
• A large portion of the population cannot afford nutritious food; the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) estimates that 63.5% of South African households cannot access adequate nutritious food.
• Malnutrition has severe health and economic consequences in South Africa, including a 28.8% stunting rate among children under five. In the 2022/23 health department report cycle, 1,000 children died from malnutrition and over 15,000 were hospitalized.
• The World Bank estimated that in 2009, South Africa's economy lost approximately US$1.1 billion (0.3% of GDP) due to decreased economic productivity caused by vitamin deficiencies alone.
• Existing social grants, such as the Child Support Grant (CSG) and Older Persons Grant (OPG), have positively impacted food access, and 93.3% of Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant recipients report using the funds primarily for food.
• The document argues against food vouchers, stating they are more administratively burdensome, prone to corruption, and may harm local street vendors by favoring large stores; cash transfers are preferred for their ability to stimulate local economies.
• While a UBIG is presented as a critical tool, the document notes it must be part of a multi-pronged strategy including a 'just food transition' (JFT) to address climate change risks, corporate retail power, and agricultural regulation.

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (2024). Idokhumenti yemininingwane: I-UBIG nendlala. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/IEJ-UBIG-Factsheet-11-Zulu.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. Idokhumenti yemininingwane: I-UBIG nendlala. 2024. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/IEJ-UBIG-Factsheet-11-Zulu.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=Idokhumenti yemininingwane: I-UBIG nendlala |date=October 2024 |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/IEJ-UBIG-Factsheet-11-Zulu.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforeconomicjustice2024idokhumenti, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{Idokhumenti yemininingwane: I-UBIG nendlala}}, institution = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/IEJ-UBIG-Factsheet-11-Zulu.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }