This study compares agriculturally active and inactive household heads across settlement types using South Africa’s Living Conditions Survey (2014/2015), focusing on five provinces of former homelands. Results show that households spend more on meat, cereals, and bread than other food groups. Agriculturally active households have lower per capita food expenditure, suggesting greater self-sufficiency. The estimated value of own food production is highest in the Eastern Cape’s former homelands. Women-headed households in lower-income deciles spend less on food per capita. Price elasticity estimates indicate that agriculturally active
households are slightly less sensitive to food price changes than their nonagricultural counterparts. These findings highlight the role of subsistence agriculture in buffering rural households against food insecurity and price volatility, especially in historically disadvantaged regions. The study underscores the importance of supporting smallholder agriculture and empowering women to improve food access and reduce poverty.