Indigenous Foods in South Africa: Household Attitudes, Consumption Patterns, and Market Implications

South Africa’s food system reflects a growing imbalance between nutritionally rich indigenous foods and the increasing dominance of commercially processed alternatives. Despite well documented health, cultural, and environmental benefits, indigenous leafy vegetables and edible insects remain marginal within formal markets and everyday diets. This systematic review synthesised 141 empirical and theoretical studies to examine how household attitudes, consumption behaviours, and market structures i