The impact of malnutrition on South African children's development
Nearly one in four South African children is stunted due to poor nutrition, a condition that experts warn is holding back the country’s human and economic development.
The latest Situation Analysis report (SADHS 2016/2024 UNICEF) reveals that only 21% of children under five receive a minimum acceptable diet, while 29% suffer from stunting linked to chronic undernutrition.
Stunting occurs when children are deprived of adequate nutrients during the first 1,000 days of life, a period critical to brain and body development. According to Compact Food Solutions, the damage often becomes permanent. “Stunted children may have lost up to 40% of their potential brain development in the first three years of their lives. They are more likely to get sick and die from common illnesses,” the organisation said.
The long-term effects extend well beyond childhood. “Stunting leads to irreversible physical and cognitive impairment, increased risk of death, and long-term disadvantages, such as potential learning difficulties and lower earning potential as adults,” the organisation added.
Despite the country’s generosity in supporting feeding schemes and donations, Compact Food Solutions believes the impact could be far greater through more coordinated efforts. “Our focus group showed that South Africans are very willing to donate, but they want to donate in a way that is quick, easy, and safe,” the organisation said. “They want transparency: it must be clear that the organisation to which they donate will channel the funds to the recipients, and there will be no misuse of funding.”
While the government has allocated R1.5 trillion of the 2025/26 National Budget to social services, including R420.1 billion for social development, Compact Food Solutions said this is “not going far enough” to address child malnutrition.
The company has called for targeted nutritional interventions for children aged six to 23 months, such as WHO and UNICEF-aligned lipid-based nutrient supplements. “When we break the cycle of undernutrition and help children to grow up normally, we give them a chance to break out of the cycle of generational poverty,” Compact Food Solutions said.