South Africa: Hunger Makes It Hard to Focus At School - What Learners in South Africa Told Us About Food Insecurity

What the report says

A Conversation Africa analysis published via AllAfrica on 10 November 2026 argues that hunger is not only a household welfare issue in South Africa, but also a barrier to learning. The piece, written by Lusanda Ncisana and Michael Mbongiseni Buthelezi, says students who arrive at school without enough to eat may struggle to concentrate, take part in lessons and stay engaged through the school day.

The authors base their discussion on four weeks of observation and interviews with 40 Grade 10 to 12 learners at Tshehlo Secondary School in Limpopo, a province they describe as facing high unemployment and poverty. They report that learners experiencing food insecurity said hunger affected their attention, memory, participation and emotional well-being, and in some cases contributed to absenteeism and disruptive behaviour. The article notes that the school context reflects a broader national challenge, with official figures cited by the authors showing millions of learners rely on school meals as a major source of nutrition.

The analysis also points to South Africa’s National School Nutrition Programme as an important support system and says government has set aside a substantial share of the education budget for it. Still, the authors argue that more consistent meal provision, better school-level support, and stronger links to local suppliers or farmers could improve the programme’s reach.

Beyond South Africa, the piece highlights a wider policy point: nutrition and education outcomes are closely connected. The authors say schools, government and communities should treat food insecurity as a shared responsibility rather than an individual family problem.