Poverty is devastating for all those who suffer from it, but child poverty can also have detrimental consequences for the future
development of society as a whole.
President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted the “massive crisis” facing South Africa in this regard in his state of the nation address earlier this year when he noted the shocking statistic that more than 25% of children under the age of five are stunted, “increasing their risk of disease and affecting their ability to learn and grow. This is devastating for children and their families and has an impact on our society as a whole,” he said. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy worsens the problem.
Ramaphosa committed to ending child stunting by 2030 and tackling malnutrition among young children with a focus on the crucial first 1 000 days of a child’s life.But it is not only a lack of food that defines child poverty, with Stats SA defining multidimensional childhood poverty as a lack of nutritious food, clean water and sanitation, quality education and healthcare, as well as safe housing.
The results of a survey released recently by Stats SA on the extent of child poverty among children up to the age of 17 years reveal a rate of 57.3% in 2023, with children of primary school age between five and 12 years experiencing the highest level at 59.3%. There are many reports of children arriving at overcrowded classrooms hungry, which affects their ability to learn.
This broad definition of multidimensional poverty among children overlaps with the definition of poverty generally, though it specifically includes factors related to early childhood development, nutrition and the quality of schools and their toilet facilities. The availability of clean water and adequate health facilities affects not only children but the population at large and is the responsibility of a number of government departments.
The commitment by the government to address childhood poverty is clear. The 2026 budget set aside R89bn in 2026/27 for the child support grant of R580 a month per child up to the age of 18 years for qualifying families, which is accessed by about 13-million beneficiaries.
This is even higher than the R370 per month for the social relief of distress grant for those below the income threshold aged 18-59
years. However, there are significant gaps in coverage and a concerted effort must be made to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries of the child support grant receive it.
Ramaphosa also said targeted interventions would be implemented to ensure that pregnant women and low-birth-weight children receive the protein and nutrients they require. This is urgently needed. The draft policy on a maternity support grant has been in the making since 2012 but has not yet been adopted by the cabinet due to cost concerns, among several other considerations.
The DG Murray Trust is one among several civil society organisations that have argued strongly for the introduction of a maternal support grant, suggesting it be paid from the second trimester of a confirmed pregnancy until three months after birth to reduce the risk of babies being born too small and to improve early childhood outcomes.
The trust says the most effective way to reduce stunting is to intervene during the first 1,000 days of life — from conception to a child’s second birthday — a critical period for growth and development. It estimates the cost of introducing a maternal support grant at about R2bn annually, which is surely within the government’s financial capabilities. This must be done.
The editorial was originally published by the Business Day on 7 April 2026. Find it here.
