Food security concerns are mounting after the United States announced cuts to aid for several countries, including South Africa. As nations grapple with the implications, experts warn that inadequate cold chain infrastructure is exacerbating food waste and hunger across sub-Saharan Africa.

Agriculture Minister John Steinhazen has called for greater resilience in the region’s food systems. However, Samuel Jacobs of Cooling as a Service revealed that nearly , largely due to insufficient refrigeration and storage facilities.

“Cold storage infrastructure is severely lacking on the continent,” Jacobs said. While South Africa ranks second only to Egypt in cold storage capacity, the rest of sub-Saharan Africa averages —far below what is needed to prevent spoilage.

Jacobs attributed the gap to . Unlike developed economies, where large cold storage logistics companies dominate, Africa’s market is dominated by small-scale farmers and retailers with limited resources.

“Cold storage infrastructure is ,” Jacobs explained. “You need strong offtake agreements and a solid business case to justify the investment.” Additionally, many rural areas still rely on , making it difficult to power energy-intensive refrigeration systems.

Beyond storage, Jacobs emphasized that  further hinder food preservation and distribution. “Once you preserve produce, you need roads and ports to get it to consumers,” he said.

With the U.S. aid withdrawal, African governments and private investors may need to step in to fund cold chain solutions—or risk worsening food insecurity in a region already battling climate change and economic instability.