STUDENT HUNGER: University food schemes fill the gap as student hunger threatens academic success
Students without funding are struggling to eat and study at university, with some relying on their parents’ social grants just to get food. This happens as universities also try to provide daily meals to thousands of needy students; however, only a certain number eat due to financial constraints.
Student hunger is threatening academic success at South African universities, with many students struggling to afford food to study. Some rely on their parents’ social grants just to get meals while attending university. Universities have stepped in to help by providing daily meals and grocery packs to thousands of needy students through food programmes run on campus.
The University of Cape Town (UCT) alone has supported 2,315 students with monthly grocery packs since 2008, while the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) supports 5,000 students annually. The University of Pretoria (UP) provided support to 4,316 students between 2021 and 2025. Despite these efforts, many students still go hungry, with research indicating that hunger among students at South African universities ranges from 30% to 65%.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
