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Exploring food security in the household : looking at the food experiences and strategies of South Africans across class groups
Dissertation (MSocSci (Development Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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University of Pretoria
2026
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| _version_ | 1869484010787307520 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Wegerif, Marc |
| author_browse | Wegerif, Marc |
| author_facet | Wegerif, Marc |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MSocSci (Development Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/108037 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-07-01T04:08:06.020Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/108037 Exploring food security in the household : looking at the food experiences and strategies of South Africans across class groups Wegerif, Marc u18145346@tuks.co.za Mavi, Nomfundo UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Household Food Insecurity Food Access Food Poverty Line Triple Burden of Malnutrition Six Dimensions of Food Security Dissertation (MSocSci (Development Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2025. This study looks at how households from different urban settings make food choices and experience or address food insecurity. Through this information a better understanding of how, where, and when people source food as well as the challenges associated with sourcing food can be gained. Additionally, it gives better understandings of a diversity of people’s thoughts, perceptions and feelings surrounding healthy diets. The research purpose is to give an in-depth picture of existing and diverse food strategies and challenges of South African Households. With that in mind, the research question asks how South African eaters in the household across class are impacted by and how they respond to food insecurity from the telling of their lived experiences. The primary research methodology used was qualitative using in-depth interviews, food diaries and observation. Secondary research for this study included using journal articles and information from Statistics South Africa, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. A thematic approach was used to analyse the data collected. This was done by identifying, analysing and interpreting patterns of meaning from the collected data. The findings of the research study align with existing literature that shows individuals who are poor are more likely to be food insecure as they are unemployed and lack resources to acquire food for healthy diets. They are more likely to be affected by the triple burden of malnutrition because of not being able to purchase adequate healthy food and their coping mechanisms such as eating cheap ultra-processed foods. They lack knowledge of what a healthy diet is and express the negative effects of food insecurity such as feelings of failure, demotivation and stagnation. Conversely, the middleclass and rich show less signs of suffering from the triple burden of malnutrition. They are not food insecure due to their ability to source food while having knowledge of healthy diets that may contribute to a healthier lifestyle. The middle-classes have the means to eat foods that cater to their physical requirements as they are either employed or supported by someone who is. Nevertheless, there are concerns about the unhealthy foods that still play a large role in their diets. Recommendations arising from this are for future research to do more longitudinal exploration of patterns of food insecurity across classes to further identify the impacts of economic shocks and policy changes on household vulnerability. Further, research can also be conducted on how perceptions of food insecurity vary between social class and culture. In the meantime, the inclusion of nutritional assessments in food insecurity studies could prove beneficial in providing a holistic understanding of food security beyond access and affordability. The government should improve income support by strengthening social protection to reduce financial constraints that exacerbate food insecurity. Furthermore, there should be stricter regulation of aggressive advertising of unhealthy foods directed towards vulnerable socio-economic groups. Anthropology, Archaeology and Development Studies MSocSci (Development Studies) Unrestricted Faculty of Humanities SDG-01: No poverty SDG-02: Zero hunger SDG-03: Good health and well-being 2026-02-10T18:36:21Z 2026-02-10T18:36:21Z 2026-05-22 2025-10 Dissertation * A2026 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/108037 https://url.za.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/iYl7CnZmM4f7GERzgf9fLIJ94Vb?domain=doi.org en © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Household Food Insecurity Food Access Food Poverty Line Triple Burden of Malnutrition Six Dimensions of Food Security Exploring food security in the household : looking at the food experiences and strategies of South Africans across class groups |
| title | Exploring food security in the household : looking at the food experiences and strategies of South Africans across class groups |
| title_full | Exploring food security in the household : looking at the food experiences and strategies of South Africans across class groups |
| title_fullStr | Exploring food security in the household : looking at the food experiences and strategies of South Africans across class groups |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring food security in the household : looking at the food experiences and strategies of South Africans across class groups |
| title_short | Exploring food security in the household : looking at the food experiences and strategies of South Africans across class groups |
| title_sort | exploring food security in the household looking at the food experiences and strategies of south africans across class groups |
| topic | UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Household Food Insecurity Food Access Food Poverty Line Triple Burden of Malnutrition Six Dimensions of Food Security |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/108037 https://url.za.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/iYl7CnZmM4f7GERzgf9fLIJ94Vb?domain=doi.org |