National context
- The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) was split into two departments in 2024: the Department of Agriculture (DoA) and the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development (DLRRD). The DoA was allocated R7.6 billion in 2025/26 and the DLRRD R9.8 billion, a 4% increase from the combined R16.7 billion allocation in 2024/25. The budgets of the two departments constitute 0.7% of the consolidated expenditure bill of R2.59 trillion for 2024/25.
- The DoA started implementing the 2024–2029 National Food and Nutrition Security Plan in 2024, working with the departments of health, education, social development and environment. By mid-2025, more than 66 000 farmers had received training, over 3 000 agricultural graduates had been placed through internship programmes and 11 agricultural colleges had been integrated into the higher education system to ensure they become centres of excellence.
- According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the proportion of people facing hunger in Africa surpassed 20% in 2024, affecting 307 million individuals. Africa is projected to account for nearly 60% of the world’s hungry people by 2030.
- The World Meteorological Organization’s State of Climate in Africa 2024 report notes that El Niño‑driven drought sharply reduced the 2024 cereal harvest in most of the southern African region. Aggregate cereal yields were 16% below the five‑year average.
- The Human Sciences Research Council’s 2023 National Food and Nutrition Security Survey indicates that 28.8% of children under five in South Africa suffer from stunting, while 5.3% are affected by wasting – both critical issues of malnutrition. It also found that only 14% of South African households were engaged in agricultural production.
- The Shoprite South African Food Security Index 2025, which measures four dimensions of food security – availability, access, utilisation and stability – found that food insecurity in South Africa improved from 44.9 in 2024 to 56.4 in 2025. However, it is still below the 2019 score of 64.9 (zero indicates severe food insecurity). The improvement is due to dietary diversification, expanded school feeding and lower food inflation (see page 228 for more on the Index).
- A 2017 WWF report estimates that 10 million tonnes of food are wasted annually in South Africa, which is about one-third of the 31 million tonnes produced each year. According to FoodForward South Africa, in 2012, the cost of food waste in South Africa was estimated at R61.5 billion per year – equivalent to 2% of the country’s GDP at the time. Adjusting for inflation, this figure would rise to at least R116.4 billion in 2025.
Overview of CSI spend
Food security and agriculture were supported by 64% of companies and received 13% of average CSI expenditure.
- Food relief and feeding schemes accounted for more than half of the average CSI spend in the food and agriculture sector (53%), a notable increase from 41% in 2024.
- Survivalist farming received the second-largest portion of funding in this sector (17%), although average spend decreased by 10 percentage points from 27% in 2024.
- Average CSI spend on small-scale farming/commercial agriculture also decreased, from 21% in 2024 to 13% in 2025.
