Stunting affects more than a quarter of South African children under five, leaving them too short for their age and — crucially — with compromised brain development that shapes their ability to learn, earn and thrive. Despite decades of government programmes and social grants, the rates have barely shifted. A new special issue of Development Southern Africa, funded by DGMT, brings together 10 peer-reviewed papers to ask the hard question: why isn’t South Africa moving the needle, and what will it take to change that?
The research, produced by experts from seven universities alongside policymakers and civil society practitioners, is unambiguous: stunting is a product of structural inequality, and tackling it requires a coordinated, multi-sectoral response that begins before a child is born. The findings expose significant gaps — nationally representative surveys are producing estimates so inconsistent that it’s difficult to know whether things are improving; the most vulnerable children, including those who’ve lost a biological father, are being missed by standard programmes; and food environment regulations exist but go largely unenforced. At the same time, the research points to what works: nutrient supplementation combined with nutrition education, mobile health tools to improve growth monitoring, and aligning social protection with nutrition policy during the critical first 1 000 days of life.
For DGMT, this body of evidence reinforces the case for structural intervention over piecemeal programming. Any single department or sector cannot solve stunting — it demands clear political ownership, district-level targets, and a cross-departmental plan with accountability built in. This special issue is intended to equip policymakers, practitioners and funders with the evidence they need to make that happen. In addition to the special issue, Stellenbosch University also developed an accompanying policy brief that summarises what the stunting special issue contributes to our understanding of stunting and what can be done to address it.
