Daily Maverick Article: How cheap junk food and a R560 grant are fuelling stunting and child obesity
Obesity and overweight rates in young children have almost doubled since 2016 in South Africa. In his State of the Nation Address this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa vowed to eradicate child stunting by 2030 when he said “This year, we will embark on a mission to end child stunting by 2030 and tackle malnutrition among […]
SAFM Interview: Where a child grows up shapes their future
On 21 July 2026, DGMT — with Change Ideas and the Hold My Hand campaign — hosted the inaugural Metro Lives public dialogue at the Homecoming Centre in District Six, Cape Town. Metro Lives was created to open up a public conversation about how South Africa’s cities and municipalities can build better lives for children, […]
SAFM Interview: More than a quarter of South African children are stunted. For many, it starts before birth
DGMT CEO Dr David Harrison spoke to Ashraf Garda on SAfm’s National Pulse about what poverty actually does to a child’s body and brain. About a thousand children die of severe acute malnutrition in South Africa every year, but Dr Harrison called that the tip of the iceberg. Beneath it sits chronic food insecurity — […]
The Conversation Article: South Africa’s food system is failing children – what must change
Child malnutrition in South Africa casts a long shadow across the life course. For example, stunting or being short for their age compromises children’s physical growth and their brain development in ways that limit their education and employment prospects. Stunted and overweight children are both at greater risk of developing noncommunicable diseases such as obesity, […]
SAFM Interview: Will a new Minister of Social Development move to implement the maternal support grant a reality?
Speaking to SAFM, DGMT’s Communications Director, Rahima Essop, made the case for a Maternal Support Grant — temporary income support that helps pregnant women access nutritious food, healthcare, and antenatal care in the months that shape a baby’s future. On behalf of the MSG Advocacy Coalition, she argued that the grant could reduce low birth […]
Cape Talk Interview: Will the appointment of Dina Pule as Minister of Social Development make the maternal support grant a reality?
Speaking to Cape Talk this week, Hold My Hands Nutrition Strategy Lead, Liezel Engelbrecht, made the case for a Maternal Support Grant: temporary income support to help pregnant women access nutritious food, healthcare and antenatal care when it counts most. Speaking on behalf of the MSG Advocacy Coalition, she argued the grant could cut low […]
IOL Article: Calls intensify for a Maternal Support Grant as budget window opens
A COALITION of health, child welfare and anti-poverty organisations is urging the government to fund a proposed Maternal Support Grant (MSG), arguing that supporting women during pregnancy could play an important role in South Africa’s mission to end childhood stunting. The call comes ahead of a key budget planning deadline on Friday, when government departments […]
TygerBurger Article: Coalition pushes for R2 billion maternal grant ahead of budget deadline
A growing coalition of non-governmental organisations and researchers is calling on the South African government to fund a proposed Maternal Support Grant (MSG) — a time-bound cash grant for pregnant women living in poverty — before a critical budget window closes this Friday, 26 June 2026. The MSG Advocacy Coalition comprises 15 organisations, including Embrace, […]
IOL Article: The Maternal Support Grant under the economic spotlight
An economist has raised a red flag on the proposal to introduce a Maternal Support Grant (MSG) for pregnant women from poor families so that they can afford to eat healthy food and give birth to healthy babies. University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) economist Dr Simiso Msomi believes the MSG would have unintended consequences, encouraging women, […]
Cape Talk Interview: A budget window for the Maternal Support Grant
Julie Mentor, Project Lead at Embrace, the Movement for Mothers, spoke to Cape Talk to make the case for a Maternal Support Grant — temporary income support for pregnant women living in poverty, to help them access nutritious food, healthcare and antenatal services during the months that matter most. Speaking on behalf of the MSG […]