John Warlock
Launched and fully operational in 2025, South Africa’s National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) is a flagship government scheme supplying one nutritious meal a day to learners at over 21,000 Quintile 1–3 and special schools, benefiting approximately 9.7 million children daily.
Funded through a conditional grant from National Treasury, the NSNP advances child nutrition, education equity, and social development nationwide.
Scheme Objectives & Reach
- Ensure daily nutritional support for learners in disadvantaged communities.
- Boost attendance, punctuality, concentration, and overall academic performance.
- Integrate nutrition education and school food gardens as sustainability tools.
Who Qualifies for NSNP?
- All learners enrolled in public primary, secondary, and special schools classified as Quintile 1–3, representing the poorest 60% of schools.
- No household means test; entire enrolled student body qualifies automatically.
Daily Meal Delivery & Nutritional Standards
- Meals are prepared and served on every school day, ideally by 10h00 to optimize learning readiness.
- A balanced meal includes:
- Protein (e.g., lentils, fish, eggs)
- Starch (porridge, maize meal, bread)
- Vegetables/fruit, following South Africa’s Food-Based Dietary Guidelines
- Limited fats, oils, iodized salt for taste and nutritional balance
Read More- September 2025 SASSA Grant Dates Announced – Full Payment Schedule
Scheme Models & Implementation
NSNP is administered via two models
| Model | Learners Reached (Est.) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Centralised | ~6 million | Meals supplied by contracted service providers serving clusters of schools |
| Decentralised | ~3.7 million | Served directly by schools making local procurement decisions |
Volunteer Food Handlers (1 for every ~200 learners) prepare and serve meals under supervision.
Funding & Budget Allocation
- NSNP is funded via a conditional grant from National Treasury, allocated to provinces based on school enrolment and need.
- Annual budget rose to approximately R8.4 billion in 2022/23, representing nearly 2.8% of provincial education spending. Pro-rated increases for 2025 ensure continuity and scale.
Governance & Performance Oversight
- Each school forms a Nutrition Committee comprising educators, parents, learners, and Volunteer Food Handlers, overseen by the principal.
- The Department of Basic Education and Provincial Education Departments monitor quality, compliance, and procurement.
2025 Challenges & Changes
Major concerns include
- Payment delays to service providers in KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Cape, where only 78% of provider invoices were cleared by April 2025, causing disruptions in school meals.
- Oversupply of small service providers in KZN (average 3.5 schools per provider) leading to inefficiencies.
- Advocacy groups like BOSA urge the Finance Ministry to ring-fence NSNP funding to safeguard against future disruptions.
Nutrition Education & Food Gardens
Schools are encouraged to develop food gardens, involving learners, parents, and educators in sustainable food production. This strengthens food security, enhances nutrition knowledge, and supplements meal menus with fresh vegetables.
Scheme Impact & Effectiveness
- Reaches ~9.7 million learners daily, making it one of the largest school feeding programmes globally.
- Reduces short-term hunger, leading to improved classroom performance and mental alertness.
- Empowers nutrition education and promotes community engagement through garden initiatives.
Future Directions & 2025 Improvements
- Strengthening provider payment systems to avoid operational delays.
- Greater consolidation of service providers in provinces like KZN to improve efficiencies.
- Enhanced mealtime consistency, ensuring meals are served by 10h00 in over 80% of participating schools.
- Expanding food handler training and strengthening provincial procurement protocols.
The NSNP scheme 2025 remains a critical social intervention, delivering daily nutritious meals to nearly 10 million learners in impoverished schools across South Africa.
While well-funded and expansive, the programme faces logistical challenges in some provinces. Strengthening financial oversight, streamlining service provider arrangements, and improving meal consistency will strengthen impact.
Stakeholders and school communities are encouraged to monitor performance and demand uninterrupted nutrition for all eligible learners.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How many learners benefit from the NSNP in 2025?
Approximately 9.7 million learners receive meals daily at nearly 21,000 Quintile 1–3 and special schools.
2. What nutritional standards are the meals based on?
The meals follow national Food-Based Dietary Guidelines, combining protein, starch, and vegetables to provide balanced nutrition for learning.
3. What governance improvements are planned in 2025?
Efforts focus on streamlined service delivery, consolidated provider networks, improved meal-timing compliance, and stronger monitoring of financial flows to eliminate service disruptions.