Why South Africans Are Flocking to Soup Kitchens—Even with SASSA Grants in Their Wallets
It’s not just the unemployed anymore. Even grant recipients are quietly lining up for food—every single day. The question is, why?”
From Soweto to Gqeberha, the soup kitchen lines are getting longer. But what’s shocking isn’t just the crowds—it’s who is standing in them.
You’d expect to see only the homeless or jobless. But now? Gogos, single moms, grant beneficiaries, pensioners—even people with part-time jobs—are queuing for survival.
And they’re not embarrassed. They’re hungry.
This isn’t just a poverty story. It’s a silent warning of something deeper happening in South Africa right now.
Meet Nomvula: A Gogo With a Grant—and a Stomach That’s Still Empty
Every month, Nomvula Khumalo receives her Old Age Grant—R2,180. It’s supposed to cover food, electricity, and transport.
But by the second week of the month, she’s at a local soup kitchen in Mamelodi, bowl in hand, waiting patiently.
“The grant doesn’t carry me like it used to. Bread is R20. A tin of fish is nearly R30. I have to choose between electricity and food. So yes, I eat here when I have to,” she says, softly.
Nomvula isn’t an exception. She’s the new normal.
Read also: How a SASSA Mum Discovered a Hidden R1,000 in Her Grant
What’s Changed?
So what’s really happening? Why are people with income—grants, salaries, or pensions—relying on food relief?
Here’s what community outreach leaders and analysts are saying:
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Food prices are rising faster than grant increases.
A recent Stats SA report shows a 9.2% spike in essential food prices over 12 months—while grants increased by only 4.8%. -
Electricity and transport are swallowing budgets.
Eskom price hikes and taxi fare increases mean less money for groceries. -
“Black Tax” is draining households.
A mother of two might also be feeding her siblings, unemployed uncle, and neighbour’s child. -
Social grants were never meant to replace income.
According to Department of Social Development, grants were designed to supplement—not fully sustain—a household. But for many, it’s now their only income.
Read also: SASSA August 2025 Payment Dates—Don’t Miss Your Turn
Soup Kitchens Have Become Lifelines
In Eldorado Park, Pastor Sipho Molefe runs a community kitchen that used to feed 80 people a day. Now? Over 300.
“It’s not just the poor anymore. It’s working people. Women in uniform. SASSA cardholders. These are people who never thought they’d need free food.”
His volunteers now cook in shifts, and even they sometimes rely on leftovers.
Government funding is minimal. Most of the food comes from churches, local donations, and expired supermarket goods.
And yet, these kitchens now carry the weight of the nation’s silent hunger.
There’s Also a Growing Shame Gap
Many who depend on these soup kitchens won’t admit it publicly.
You won’t see them post about it. You won’t hear it in conversation. But behind closed doors, the shame is real.
“Some come wearing masks, hoodies—trying to hide their faces,” says Mama Thoko, who runs a pop-up feeding scheme in Pietermaritzburg.
For many, it’s the only meal they’ll have all day. And yet, it’s still a source of silent humiliation—because they’re not supposed to be here. They were promised better.
Who’s Filling the Gap?
NGOs and community kitchens are doing what government relief should—but they’re cracking under pressure.
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Gift of the Givers reports a 30% increase in food relief requests in just six months.
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Rise Against Hunger is now rationing its donations.
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Churches are hosting “quiet kitchens”, operating unannounced to avoid crowd surges.
And now, new "mobile soup trucks" are being rolled out in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban—serving food under bridges, outside train stations, and even outside SASSA offices.
Yes—outside SASSA offices.
Read also: SASSA Cards Are Expiring—Check Yours Before August 5th
What the Experts Are Saying
Economic analysts are ringing alarm bells.
Dr. Nomonde Zwane, a social development researcher, warns:
“We are now witnessing the creation of a two-tier survival system. Grants help people survive—but soup kitchens keep them alive.”
She argues that unless grants are matched with inflation and living costs, they will continue to lose impact.
What Can Be Done?
Right now, the burden is falling on volunteers, donations, and non-profits.
But for real change, civil society is calling for:
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An emergency food relief extension linked to social grants
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A grant re-evaluation tied to cost-of-living, not just inflation
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Better collaboration between SASSA and community kitchens
Until then, the pots will keep boiling—and the lines will keep growing.
Have Your Say Below:
📌 Have you or someone you know ever turned to a soup kitchen while still receiving a SASSA grant?
[ ] Yes, it’s the only way we survive
[ ] No, but I know people who do
[ ] Never—my grant covers everything
Final Thought: The Hunger You Don’t See
In a country that prides itself on ubuntu and community, it’s clear that our most vulnerable aren’t failing the system—the system is failing them.
If you’ve ever wondered how your neighbour survives the last two weeks of the month, now you know. They might be one of the thousands who quietly queue for food they shouldn’t have to beg for.
Let’s not judge them. Let’s feed them—and fight for a system that doesn’t send the elderly to soup kitchens.
~BILLY JAYDEN LOUIS
Sources:
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#SoupKitchensSouthAfrica #SASSAGrantCrisis #HungerInSA #CommunityRelief #FeedingSchemes #Dailysouthafricanpulse #FoodInsecuritySA
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