Prioritising the Fight Against Stunting in South Africa | GTAC Webinar

Why does child stunting remain one of South Africa’s most urgent yet overlooked development challenges? In this GTAC webinar, Dr Gabrielle Wills presents key findings from the special issue of Development Southern Africa titled “Prioritising the Fight Against Stunting”. Drawing on contributions from more than 40 researchers, practitioners, universities, NGOs, and development partners, the research examines why stunting persists in South Africa and what can be done to address it. The webinar highlights an uncomfortable reality: despite being one of Africa’s wealthiest countries, too many South African children are still being left behind before they reach their second birthday. Stunting is not simply about height; it reflects lost potential, lifelong inequality, and missed opportunities for children to reach their full developmental potential. The discussion explores the drivers of child stunting, the evidence on interventions that work, and the policy reforms needed to accelerate progress. The session also reflects on South Africa’s commitment, announced during the 2026 State of the Nation Address, to end child stunting by 2030 and examines how research, policy, and practice can work together to achieve this goal. 📅 Recorded live on 05 June 2026 What you’ll learn in this webinar • What child stunting is and why it matters for long-term development • Why stunting remains a persistent challenge in South Africa • How stunting affects children's health, learning outcomes, and future opportunities • The relationship between child nutrition, poverty, inequality, and development • Why the first 1,000 days of a child's life are critical for growth and development • What the latest South African evidence reveals about child stunting • Which interventions and policies have been shown to reduce stunting • The importance of coordinated action across health, education, nutrition, and social protection sectors • How South Africa can achieve its goal of ending child stunting by 2030 Speaker Dr Gabrielle Wills - Senior Researcher, Research on Socio-Economic Policy Unit (RESEP) Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University Subscribe for more insights on public finance, infrastructure, and development policy.