SA food supplies still at 'comfortable levels' as region battles El Niño, govt says

While Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe have declared states of disaster owing to a drought affecting food security, South Africa's food supplies are still at "comfortable levels", the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development said on Tuesday.

The southern African region is facing the impact of a drought brought on by the weather phenomenon El Niño.

El Niño occurs with the warming of the ocean surface in the Pacific Ocean. It is associated with low rainfall and hotter temperatures in southern Africa.