The Maternal Support Grant (MSG) Advocacy Coalition, of which DGMT is a part, is a group of civil society organisations and researchers advocating for stronger social protection during pregnancy. In February 2026, the coalition made a written submission to the South African Human Rights Commission’s National Inquiry into the country’s food system, highlighting the persistent crisis of maternal and child undernutrition in South Africa. Although the country produces enough food nationally, millions of households cannot afford a nutritious diet, and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable during this critical period for early child development.
The submission argues that gaps in South Africa’s social protection system leave many pregnant women without income support at a time when nutritional needs and financial pressures increase. Poor maternal nutrition is closely linked to low birth weight, stunting and long-term developmental challenges for children. Introducing a Maternal Support Grant, providing income support during pregnancy and the early months after birth, would help ensure mothers can access nutritious food and support their children’s healthy development during the first 1 000 days of life.
The coalition calls on government to approve and implement the Maternal Support Grant policy, strengthen alignment between social protection and early childhood development priorities, and increase the value of the Child Support Grant to the food poverty line. These measures would help break intergenerational cycles of malnutrition and poverty, while advancing the constitutional right of every child to basic nutrition.
