AFSUN Policy Brief: Johannesburg

Johannesburg, a ‘world class African city’ is the economic
hub of South Africa. Situated in Gauteng, the province is
classified as the fourth largest economy in Africa, accounting
for 33% of South Africa’s GDP. Constituting the industrial and
commercial heartland of South Africa the three individual
metropoles, Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tswane are
surrounded by industrial and mining complexes within the
province. However, households in Johannesburg's poorer
areas are experiencing severe food insecurity and poverty.
Large numbers of people are affected and the widespread
perceptions of worsening conditions clearly indicate that
poor communities in Johannesburg are faced with socioeconomic
and health-care crises which require urgent
intervention. In order to provide empirical evidence of the
food poverty situation in Johannesburg, the Urban Food
Security Baseline Survey was conducted in Alexandra (Alex –
298 households), the Inner City (IC – 348 households) and
Orange Farm (OF – 350 households).