New survey: Nearly half of South African households go hungry due to Covid-19

This makes hunger one of the most devastating consequences of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The survey indicates that more than 40% of South Africans of all age groups were affected by hunger.

All population groups were affected, with about half of Indian and Black people suffering from hunger.

“This is also true for more than four in ten Coloured people and almost three in ten White people in

South Africa,” Ipsos said in a statement. 

“Hunger knows no provincial boundaries and South Africans all over the country were going hungry but those in KwaZulu-Natal (the second-most populous province in South Africa) and the Eastern Cape (one of the poorest provinces) suffered the most.”

The scourge of hunger affected similar proportions of working 45% and non-working 46% South Africans.

According to the survey, about six in every ten South Africans 58% said that “the Covid-19 pandemic has a negative impact on the income of my household” and half 50% said “people in my household suffer more from stress and other illnesses during the Covid-19 pandemic”.

In government and Covid-19, the survey shows that close to six in every ten South Africans 58% think that President Cyril Ramaphosa did a good job during the Covid-19 pandemic and 56% give goverment credit for their handling of the pandemic.

“It is probably no surprise that ANC supporters are more vocal in their support for the president and

the government’s handling of the pandemic, but supporters of other political parties largely agree although not to the same extent. 

“Interestingly, supporters of all three the biggest political parties are very close in their opinions about the alleged corruption by government officials, with more than half (52%) of South Africans saying that the alleged corruption by government officials during the Covid-19 pandemic made them more negative about the ANC.”

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