Social Development
Given that one in five households in the province experiences food insecurity and in the light of the looming petrol increase expected in April 2026, how is his Department responding to the crisis of food insecurity, especially through this budget?
The Department of Social Development works with a range of other stakeholders to address food insecurity in the province, including the Department of Health and Wellness, Department of Education, Department of Local Government, Department of Agriculture, municipalities and SASSA, as well as civil society organisations.
As such DSD programs form one part of an integrated approach to food insecurity that is much larger. The Department through the Sustainable Livelihoods Programme currently provides funding support to 54 Non-Profit Organisations, managing 101 CNDCs, 64 Community kitchens and 17 Feeding sites. The CNDCs form part of the Departments integrated response to food insecurity. CNDCs provide daily nutritious meals to vulnerable individuals and households, including out- of school children and persons with disabilities.
In addition to meal provision, many CNDCs implement complementary community development initiatives, household food gardens, skills and income generating projects as well as livelihoods support through work opportunities, to promote self-reliance and community resilience.
CNDCs are strategically located across all six Department of Social Development regions of the province in communities with the highest levels of poverty and food insecurity, ensuring equitable geographic coverage and accessibility for vulnerable households.
The CNDCs and community kitchens collectively reach about 20 000 beneficiaries per month (non-cumulative), providing access to daily nutritious meals for 5 days per week, throughout the year and complementary development initiatives to promote well-being and improve resilience.
Response to food insecurity through the 2026/27 financial year budget allocation:
The department acknowledges that one in five households in the province experience food insecurity, a situation that may be further exacerbated by the anticipated fuel increase in April 2026, which is expected to increase food prices, transport costs and overall financial pressure.
In response, the Department through the Sustainable Livelihoods Programme has prioritised food insecurity mitigation within the 2026/27 budget allocation of R 50 054 000.00, which has been strategically directed toward both immediate food relief and sustainable food insecurity interventions.
This allocation has been committed to support the ongoing operations of CNDC and community kitchens, including food procurement for cooked meals and food parcels, the creation of work opportunities (such as cooks and programme officers), the implementation of Sustainable Livelihoods skills development and income‑generating projects, as well as related operational costs.
The integrated approach ensures that the programme addresses both immediate food crisis of food insecurity and the structural drivers of vulnerability, particularly in the context of rising fuel and food costs.
The programme continues to align its budget and intervention to address the growing demand for food relief services; and its response further reflects a targeted and balanced approach that addresses both the immediate needs of vulnerable households and the longer-term goal of reducing dependency.
