December food basket cost R577,24 more than in 2021

The average December food basket cost R577,24 more than it did in December 2021, with maize meal, cake flour, samp, cooking oil, onions, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, cabbage and bread costing significantly more. This means that these nutritious foods will likely disappear from the plates of low-income consumers.

The December 2022 Household Affordability Index, which tracks food price data from 44 supermarkets and 30 butcheries, in low-income areas of Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg and Springbok, shows that the average cost of the Household Food Basket increased by R577,24 (13,5%) from R4 275,94 in December 2021 to R4 853,18 in December 2022.

The survey is conducted for the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group by women who live in low-income communities where they have to find the best prices to feed their families. The basket is for a family of four for a month.

The average price of R4 853,18 in December increased by R17,21 (0.4%) from R4 835,96 in November 2022. Foods which increased in price in December by 4% or more include frozen chicken portions, onions, tomatoes, spinach, oranges, apples, tea and tinned pilchards.

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Biggest increases in food basket

The impact of the war in Ukraine and other factors on food prices are clear when looking at the price differences between December 2021 and December 2022. The main increases were noted for:

• Onions (99% more expensive)
• Cake flour (34%)
• Cooking oil (30%)
• Samp (28%)
• Maize meal (23%)
• Frozen chicken portions (10%), chicken feet (15%) and chicken livers (14%)
• Stock cubes (15%)
• Tea (11%)
• Full cream milk (14%)
• Offal (12%)
• Tomatoes (23%)
• Carrots (23%)
• Spinach (26%)
• Green pepper (23%)
• Tinned pilchards (13%)
• Canned beans (11%)
• Oranges (10%)
• Polony (17%)
• Apricot jam (15%)
• White bread (18%) and brown bread (16%)

In December 2022, food baskets prices decreased in Johannesburg (-0,7%), Springbok (-2,6%) and Pietermaritzburg (-0.1%). Food basket prices increased in Durban (1,8%) and Cape Town (1,6%).

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A nutritious diet for children

In December 2022 the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet was R843,47, which was R4,82 more than in November and R95,52 more than in December 2021. Considering that the Child Support Grant of R480 is 28% below the Food Poverty Line of R663 and 43% below the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet, the poverty spiral directly affects children in low-income households.

The group has in the past advocated for some type of additional grant allocation from government every January to assist parents with their children’s new school year expenses, thereby securing a sounder foundation to support education, while reducing debt incurred at the beginning of the year, which haunts parents throughout the year.

“This special Back-to-School grant targeted directly for the new school year, would provide a focussed investment for improved education outcomes, while alleviating some of the financial pressures on parents.”

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What workers have to pay

The National Minimum Wage (NMW) was R23,19 an hour and R185,52 for an 8-hour day. In December, with 19 working days, the maximum NMW for a general worker was R3 524,88. Dispersed in a worker’s family of 4 people, the NMW is reduced to R881,22 per person, below the upper-bound poverty line of R1 417 per person per month, as well as the lower-bound poverty line of R945.

Using Pietermaritzburg-based figures for electricity and transport and the average figure for a minimum nutritional basket of food for a family of four, the group calculates that electricity and transport take up 61,2% of a general worker’s wage.

Low-income families can only buy food after money for transport and electricity is paid or set aside, leaving only R1 369,38 for food and everything else. This means that workers’ families underspent on food by a minimum of 58,6% in December 2022.

“In this scenario there is no possibility of a worker being able to buy proper nutritious food for her family. If the R1 369,38 all went to buy food, we are looking at R342,34 per person for a family of four. The food poverty line is R663.”

The group says the NMW is a poverty wage that reduces productivity in the workplace, slows down economic growth, damages workers health, compromises the futures of workers’ children, makes workers vulnerable and puts workers in debt.

“The NMW is set too low and is not enough to cover the three core worker expenses of food, transport and electricity.”