Amid food insecurity in urban South Africa, a new HSRC collaborative study finds that Johannesburg’s migrants desire the traditional leafy greens and fruit with which they grew up. However, patchy supply chains, steep prices and shrinking know‑how keep these nutrient‑rich staples off city plates. Strengthening cross‑border trade and youth education, researchers argue, could help close the nutritional gap.
Informal roadside market in Acornhoek near Hoedspruit, Limpopo Province, South Africa, 28 March 2008. Photo by Media Club South Africa, CC BY-SA 2.0, Flickr
The United Nations defines food insecurity as the inability to consistently access enough safe and nutritious food for an active and healthy life. According to the 2023 National Food and Security Survey, in South Africa, rural households are unable to produce enough food to complement food and energy needs because of urbanisation. For example, in 2023, 37% of Gauteng’s population experienced mild to moderate food insecurity, and 14% experienced severe food insecurity.
South Africa is a centre for regional migration, and the largest proportion of both within-country and international migrants choose Johannesburg as their destination. Because urban populations depend on markets and stores for food, the HSRC, in partnership with the Universities of Newcastle and York (United Kingdom) recently conducted a study aiming to understand if expanding access to traditional fruits and vegetables (TFVs) could ease urban malnutrition and inform better food‑system policies. Four policy briefs were published to communicate some of the findings.
The study focused on local and international migrant populations in two areas of Johannesburg, the central business district (CBD) and Soweto South, and aimed to identify drivers of TFV choice and the barriers to their consumption.
The fieldwork for this project took place between May and July 2023, combining 74 interviews, 72 household surveys, and the mapping of supply chains that brought TFVs to the City of Johannesburg Metropole.
Demand for traditional vegetables and fruits
Leafy vegetables were the most highly sought-after traditional food, the researchers found. These vegetables were largely cooked in stews and traditionally either foraged wild or cultivated. The most common leaves sought after by Johannesburg migrants were amaranth (pigweed), cocoyam, cassava, sweet potato, sorrel, blackjack, pumpkin, cowpea, Bambara nut, wild bush okra and spider plant.
Fruits, which researchers found were less in demand than vegetables, were most often eaten as a snack. Traditional fruits included African melon, African watermelon, chocolate berry, wild medlar, wild currant, loquat, sour plum, prickly pear, Kei apple, marula and baobab. Respondents also sought fresh plantains (cooking bananas) as a starch.
“There is a general decline in the consumption of TFVs,” wrote researchers. “Although demand was reported to be high amongst respondents, indicating a desire for more of these products, there are significant economic, structural and cultural barriers hindering their consumption.”
Barriers to supply
Demand for TFVs outstripped supply. According to Dr Tim Hart, the HSRC’s co-investigator on the project, “permits, regulations on importing and a rather exclusive agrarian system that focuses primarily on large commercial farmers” were structural barriers that prevented smallholders from effectively entering the value chains.
Up to 60% of TFVs arrived by bus or informal couriers from Limpopo, Zimbabwe or Malawi, adding days of travel and extra mark-ups. For example, one trader noted paying about R2 500 for a single cross-border shipment that still took two days to reach the CBD.
Formal markets and shops relied on import channels from Cameroon, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as seen in Figure 1. Small growers of TFVs rarely sold to supermarket buyers, and immigrant traders faced harassment and steep permit fees.
Respondents also reported difficulties in cultivating their own TFVs. Most inner-city migrants tended to rent rooms without gardens, while domestic gardens were too small for viable plots.
Previous research into urban farming revealed that despite pockets of unused public and private space that could host new farms, farmers in Johannesburg face several challenges, including securing suitable land, uncertain tenure, poor soil and unreliable irrigation due to load shedding. Many growers are motivated by social good and struggle to afford seeds, tools and other inputs.
Figure 1. Food pathways into the Johannesburg CBD and Soweto South
Source: HSRC
Barriers to access
TFVs were more easily accessible for respondents living in Johannesburg’s CBD. Respondents from Soweto South reported their trips to the CBD being irregular, as traditional TFVs were often expensive, might not have been in stock on that day and transportation costs were high. TFVs were also often more expensive than mainstream produce, especially in immigrant-oriented shops that relied on imports.
Due to the limited availability of TFVs and their cost, most respondents reported replacing them with other produce such as pumpkin leaves, kale, spinach (Swiss chard), Chinese cabbage and commercial okra leaves.
Barriers to consumption
Researchers found that while demand for TFVs in Johannesburg had increased because of international and within-country migration, consumption among households had declined in recent years. Older, long-settled migrants were most likely to eat TFVs. One respondent said that children preferred modern food, especially meat, and they did not enjoy the taste of traditional vegetables. Processed and fast foods compounded the problem as their rapid spread through supermarkets and takeaway outlets enticed many, particularly younger residents.
“One of the main obstacles to increasing the consumption of TFVs, besides affordability, is knowledge about the value, taste, and how to prepare and store them,” wrote researchers. Older women were the primary holders of such knowledge. They had learnt recipes from mothers and grandmothers, while many younger respondents, especially single men, did not know how to cook them.
Why traditional produce matters
According to researchers, migrants in the Johannesburg area often desire TFVs for cultural and sentimental reasons. For example, a key driver of TFV consumption was family and friends who grew traditional fruits and vegetables in migrants’ rural home regions. “Many migrants grew up consuming these TFVs and continue to attempt to do so in Johannesburg,” researchers wrote. “This maintains dietary and cultural connections for migrants with their families, friends and places of origin.”
In addition, many respondents believed that traditional leafy vegetables, often dark green, aided in digestion and reduced the effects of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes. Raw fruit was also believed to be essential for body health, and many respondents ate it as a snack or dessert after each meal.
Photo by Tim Hart
Photo by Tim Hart
Steps forward
Research has shown that TFVs, especially leafy green vegetables, are highly nutritious. Moreover, according to another study, migrants in the Johannesburg area often desire TFVs for cultural, sentimental and health reasons. “Decent availability and access to TFVs, then, has the potential to reduce food and nutrition insecurity,” wrote the researchers.
A 2023 HSRC Review piece revealed what urban farmers in Johannesburg have been doing with the limited resources they have. For example, farmers have converted unused school plots, rooftops and even former dump sites into deep-trenched, nutrient-rich beds and polytunnels. They grow mainstream crops and traditional greens to meet migrant tastes, then sell or donate the harvest directly from the farm. “There is a very strong network now, but a challenge is again [getting support from] the government at different tiers, including with getting secure access to good land,” said Hart. “These farmers and gardeners add value by reclaiming and revitalising brownfield land.” Brownfield land is land that has been abandoned or underutilised. The study made recommendations for national and local level governments. At a national level, policy should strengthen TFV markets by investing in the supply chain and formal trading hubs, easing border and trading restrictions, and forging bilateral deals (for example, with Nigeria) to streamline cross-border flows.
At the city level, Johannesburg could weave TFVs into food‑aid parcels, curb crime that targets traders and shoppers, and, together with national partners, back formalised trading platforms so these nutritious foods reach more residents. To increase consumption of TFVs, researchers called for city-led campaigns and school packs to “enhance knowledge of TFVs amongst youth”. They also suggested using social‑media influencers to spread preparation tips and recipes for contemporary dishes.
Researchers argued that education campaigns were also an important part of plans to expand access to, and use of, TFVs. They also encouraged further research to investigate how TFVs can bolster food and nutrition security by studying consumption habits, cooking and storage practices, and traders’ handling of fresh produce. “Education refers not simply to dietary intake among consumers but also the education of officials and scientists, who are quick to overlook the nutrient value and role of these foods because of occasional informal storage practices and sources,” said Hart.
Researchers believe that urban farmers also require educational support. While many of these farmers have some agricultural training, scaling up requires specific skills and knowledge, such as knowledge of organic soil revitalisation, farm management and climate-smart methods.
Research contacts and acknowledgements:
This article was written by HSRC science writer, Jessie-Lee Smith, based on findings from the research project, The Role of Traditional Food Systems in Rapid Urbanization. The research study team included Prof. Alexandra Hughes (University of Newcastle), Dr Tim GB Hart (consultant), Prof. Henrice Altink and Prof. Katherine Denby (both from the University of York), and from the HSRC, Dr Blessing Masamha, Dr Precious Tirivanhu, Dr Mathias Fubah Alubafi, Dr Emmanuel Fundisi and Dr Tholang Mokhele.
