Shoprite Group’s 2025 food security index shows slight improvement amid ongoing hunger crisis

South Africa recorded a slight improvement in food security over the past year, according to new independent research commissioned by the Shoprite Group and conducted by economists from Stellenbosch University.

The findings were released to mark World Food Day as part of the 2025 South African Food Security Index, an initiative by the country’s largest food retailer aimed at tracking progress and keeping hunger at the forefront of the national conversation.

The Index, which is independently compiled, uses publicly available data to measure South Africa’s food security across four key dimensions: accessibility, affordability, dietary diversity, and stability.

According to the report, the overall Food Security Index score rose from 44.9 in 2023 to 56.4 in 2024.

Although the increase represented only a modest improvement, it marked a turnaround from last year’s lowest level since 2010.

Researchers attributed the rise to lower food inflation, a higher proportion of households satisfied with the diversity in their diets, and the expansion of school feeding schemes across several provinces.

However, the report warned that despite this progress, hunger remained one of South Africa’s most urgent social challenges.

“All provinces except the Eastern Cape experienced an improvement in Index values in 2024,” the report stated.

“While most households, approximately 80.8%, consumed more than six food groups, nearly 20% continued to eat too few food groups.”

The Free State recorded the poorest dietary diversity, with almost half of respondents (49.3%) reporting that they had consumed only three or fewer food groups in the previous 24 hours.

The report also found that female-headed households were more likely to experience food insecurity than male-headed households, highlighting the continued gender disparity in access to nutrition.

Sanjeev Raghubir, Chief Sustainability Officer at the Shoprite Group, said that the Index reinforced the urgent need for collaboration between the public and private sectors to combat hunger sustainably.

“Food security is one of the defining challenges of our time,” he said.

“While we are encouraged by incremental improvements, hunger will only be defeated if business, government, and civil society work together. We are, however, proud of the role the Shoprite Group is playing in making food affordable for millions of South Africans.”

Raghubir explained that price remained the single most important factor determining what families could afford to eat. “Our business contained internal food inflation to just 2.3% in its 2025 financial year, despite broader cost pressures,” he said.

The Group’s ability to manage food costs stemmed largely from its ownership of approximately 21% of private-label products, giving it greater control over pricing and value.

Since the launch of its Xtra Savings rewards programme in 2019, Shoprite has delivered more than R55 billion in instant cash savings to customers. In the 2025 financial year alone, members saved R16.5 billion across Shoprite and Checkers supermarkets.

Affordability has also remained a priority through initiatives like the retailer’s bread subsidy programme. In the past year, Shoprite sold and subsidised 27.7 million loaves of bread at R5 each. “If lined up end to end, those loaves would almost stretch from Cape Town to London,” Raghubir said.

In addition to affordability, accessibility has been a focus for the Group, which continues to expand its retail footprint to ensure that most South Africans can reach a Shoprite store within a reasonable distance.

“The slight improvement in the Index shows that progress is possible and should inspire collective action from all sectors within South Africa,” Raghubir added.

While the report revealed that the country’s overall food security had improved, it also underscored the scale of the challenge ahead. Millions of South Africans still struggle to access nutritious meals regularly, and many households continue to rely on social grants or low-cost food staples to survive.

The Shoprite Group’s Food Security Index aims to serve as an annual benchmark for progress, ensuring that hunger and nutrition remain part of South Africa’s economic and social development agenda.

Raghubir concluded that the Group would continue to work with partners and communities to address affordability, accessibility, and food waste, reinforcing its commitment to building a more food-secure nation.

“The fight against hunger requires persistence, innovation, and partnership,” he said. “Even small improvements show that change is possible when we work together to ensure that no South African goes to bed hungry.”

BUSINESS REPORT