The DG Murray Trust has called on National Treasury to prioritise four key interventions to support President Cyril Ramaphosa’s commitment to eradicate stunting by 2030, announced during his State of the Nation Address last week.
The president’s announcement on 12 February follows Cabinet’s approval of the National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children, which sets 10 national priorities to improve the lives of children and teenagers.
The organisation is urging Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to include high-impact measures in the medium-term budget, including a R2 billion annual Maternal Support Grant and making protein-rich foods more affordable at a cost of R4 billion to R5 billion per annum.
David Harrison, chief executive of the DG Murray Trust, said research shows the most effective way to reduce stunting is to intervene during the first 1 000 days of life, from conception to a child’s second birthday.
“Research shows that the risk of stunting increases when babies are born with a low birth weight (under 2.5 kg) and never catch up because their mothers were malnourished or drank alcohol while pregnant,” Harrison said.
Over the past decade, about 800 000 babies were born underweight and brain-damaged due to alcohol exposure in the womb. South Africa has the highest rate of foetal alcohol syndrome in the world.
The proposed Maternal Support Grant would be valued at the same level as the Child Support Grant and paid from the second trimester of a confirmed pregnancy until three months after birth. This would reduce the risk of babies being born too small and improve early childhood outcomes.
The Child Support Grant currently offers social protection to more than 13 million children each month at R560 per child. However, it reaches only about 81% of eligible children. Nearly half of eligible infants miss out in their first year, often due to documentation barriers.
Research shows that the risk of stunting increases when babies are born with a low birth weight (under 2.5 kg) and never catch up because their mothers were malnourished or drank alcohol while pregnant.
Harrison said the grant’s value must rise to the food poverty line of R855, starting with young children.
More than 63.5% of households in South Africa are food insecure, with 17.5% experiencing severe food insecurity, driven by higher food prices.
Liezel Engelbrecht, nutrition lead for the Hold My Hand Accelerator incubated by the trust, said rising food prices push many families towards cheaper, starchy and ultra-processed foods that lack essential nutrients.
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The trust is calling for the introduction of multiple micronutrient supplementation in the public health system, which provides a single tablet with 15 vitamins and minerals to replace iron and folate supplements currently provided to pregnant women. This would reduce the risk of low birth weight, preterm birth and early infant mortality.
The organisation also proposes a targeted double-discount on a basket of 10 protein-rich foods, including eggs, beans, tinned fish and amasi, supported by retailers, manufacturers and government.
Engelbrecht said this would have a greater impact than exempting more foods from value-added tax because it would direct more money to low-income households through government-funded interventions.
The trust is also calling for stronger alcohol harm reduction measures, including higher excise taxes and minimum unit pricing to reduce heavy drinking. Countries such as Scotland have implemented minimum unit pricing with measurable reductions in alcohol-related harm.
Harrison said achieving the president’s stunting target will require coordination across government departments and the appointment of a nutrition leader to drive a national programme.
- The DG Murray Trust is a South African foundation built on endowments from Douglas and Eleanor Murray, focused on early childhood development, youth development, preventing nutritional stunting and promoting literacy.
