Food insecurity and coping strategies of low-income households in Tshwane, South Africa

Abstract

This study used principal component analysis to providetargeted policy interventions in response to livelihoodcoping strategies adopted by low‐income households inTshwane (Pretoria), South Africa. The empirical findingsare categorized into four food‐coping strategy groups. Thefirst group comprises households that depend on beggingand borrowing to survive. The second group compriseshouseholds who use credit to purchase food and subse-quently restrict their meals or skip them altogether. Thethird group comprises households that frequently borrowmoney to purchase food. These households prioritizebuying necessities and sticking to a budget. These house-holds also resort to selling assets to cushion againstincome shocks. The final group comprises households thatdo not have food gardens and rely on buying cheap,undesired food that they eat in smaller portions duringtheir meal times. These findings raise concerns about theneed for policies that increase household income and foodaccess for the vulnerable urban population. Raisingawareness about healthy and nutritious foods that can beobtained at a lower cost is also essential.