Towards urban food system transformation in South Africa

About 67% of the South African population lives in urban areas, making it is among the most urbanised African countries. However, the government is failing to achieve food security, with about 58 million people facing food insecurity in 2023. An urgent intervention is needed to transform South Africa’s food system to respond to the needs of this growing urban population. Existing discourses on the issue primarily focus on increasing food production. However, in addition to this, access to food in urban areas is crucial since, unlike rural areas, most do not produce their own food. This article fills this knowledge and literature gap. The article identifies policies/actions related to food systems in South Africa, focusing on four cities, examines the areas receiving policies attention, and explores potential actions towards transforming the food system. Underpinned by the food systems framework, the article draws from a critical document analysis. It draws from documents in both grey and academic formats. The article shows that to transform South African food systems, there is a need for coherent and integrated food policies, shortened supply chains, integration of food into planning and urban design, increased financial and resource inclusion for farmers, support climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies; support and strengthen markets; support data collection, management and dissemination; invest in critical infrastructure and technologies; promote sustainable urban agriculture; and reduce food waste and loss. The article shows that in designing food insecurity interventions in South Africa, it is vital to integrate access to food in an urban environment since most people in urban areas do not produce their food.