BACKGROUND:
Nutrition is vital for healthy pregnancies, but pregnant women in low-resource rural areas face barriers to accessing reliable information. Despite the growing use of mobile health (mHealth) platforms like MomConnect, there are significant mismatches between digital health solutions and the lived realities of rural users.

OBJECTIVE:
To explore the barriers to effective mHealth nutrition messaging among pregnant women in low-resource rural settings in South Africa.

METHODS:
This study used a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore the experiences of pregnant women in the Capricorn district. Data were collected through nine focus group discussions with purposively selected clinic attendees, using an unstructured interview guide. The audio recordings were made with consent and reflexivity was maintained to reduce bias. Thematic analysis was applied and trustworthiness and ethical standards, including informed consent and confidentiality, were strictly respected.

RESULTS:
This study found that the nutrition messaging of mHealth is impeded by poverty, food insecurity, limited digital access, data or airtime, and cultural mismatches. Women faced difficulties applying advice due to workload and conflicting advice from traditional sources. They preferred visual, local language, and interactive content, highlighting the importance of trusted social networks in shaping nutrition behavior and message acceptance.

CONCLUSIONS:
The study advocates for community-based, offline-first mHealth approaches that reflect socioeconomic realities. Effective interventions should pair better content with interactive participatory strategies to ensure relevance and impact in low-resource settings.