---
title: "Watch — Why so many South African children are dying of hunger"
description: "Last year, 973 children under five have died of severe acute malnutrition in South Africa’s state hospitals. Activist Mark Heywood estimates the real number is 10 times as much at around 11,000. Daily Maverick’s Estelle Ellis explains."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "VIDEO"
author: "Estelle Ellis"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/estelle-ellis/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-01-11-watch-why-so-many-south-african-children-are-dying-of-hunger/"
published: "2026-01-11T20:59:39"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 119
---

# Watch — Why so many South African children are dying of hunger

> Last year, 973 children under five have died of severe acute malnutrition in South Africa’s state hospitals. Activist Mark Heywood estimates the real number is 10 times as much at around 11,000. Daily Maverick’s Estelle Ellis explains.

By Estelle Ellis · Published 11 January 2026, 22:59 SAST

## Content

[YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ3ukdAxTuA)

Reporting by: Estelle Ellis 
Edited by: Anda Tolibadi 
Filmed by: Malibongwe Tyilo 
Creative lead: Malibongwe Tyilo 
Produced by: Emilie Gambade 
Sub-edited by: Ian Wolstenholme

Estelle Ellis is an award-winning investigative journalist specialising in health, human rights, and social justice. With a career spanning decades, she has exposed systemic failures in healthcare, particularly in underserved communities. A key contributor to Daily Maverick’s Maverick Citizen, Estelle’s work has influenced policy debates and public discourse. She speaks with authority on health governance, inequality, and the power of journalism to drive change.

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[Additional reporting here.](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article_tag/hunger/)**DM**