South Africans struggle as household food basket costs surge by R141.82 in one month

The household food basket for low-income consumers increased by R141,82 in just one month during October, which means that poor people now have even less money to put food on the table for their families.

The food basket is part of the Household Affordability Index compiled by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group from prices checked by women who live in poor communities at 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries, in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Mtubatuba and Springbok.

The basket is considered a reasonable proxy for a food basket that contains the most important typical foods most households try to buy each month, given affordability constraints. The basket is not nutritionally complete.

The average cost of the household food basket was R5 297,58 in October, R141,81 (2.8%), more than in September when it cost R5 155,77 and R509,75 (10.6%), more than it cost in October last year when it was R4 787,83.

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Prices of some items in food basket increased by more than 5%

Food items that cost more than 5% more, include:

• the price of a 10kg bag of rice increased on average by R8,56 to R166,35, an increase of 5%
• the price of a 10kg pocket of potatoes increased on average by R41,47 to R145,31, an increase of 40%
• the price of 60 eggs [2 X 30 egg trays] increased on average by R26,39 to R162,10, an increase of 19%
• the price of 200g of curry powder increased from R33,77 to R36,17, an increase of 7%
• the price of 2kg of gizzards increased from R87,55 in September to 91,91, an increase of 5%
• the price of 2kg of chicken livers increased from R75,56 to R80,50, an increase of 7%)
• the price of 2kg of wors increased from R136,96 to R146,17, an increase of 7%
• the price of 2kg of fish increased from R110,03 to R120,03, an increase of 10%
• the price of 6kg of tomatoes increased from R104,59 to R115,63, an increase of 11%
• the price of 10kg of butternut increased from R141,71 to R150,00, an increase of 6%
• the price of 8 bunches of spinach increased from R107,17 to R112,36, an increase of 5%
• the price of 3kg of apples increased from R46 to R48,84, an increase of 6%
• the price of 7kg of oranges increased from R52,75 to R59,81, an increase of 13%
• the price of 1 kg of margarine increased from R39,20 to R41,64, an increase of 6%
• the price of 900g of apricot jam increased from R36,42 to R38,08, an increase of 5%.

While the prices of many food items increased by more than 5% in October compared to September, the core drivers of the higher prices were potatoes, eggs and rice.

Foods items that cost 2% to 5% more in October included white sugar (2%), sugar beans (2%), soup (2%), tea (4%), chicken feet (2%), beef liver (3%), beef (2%), green pepper (4%), canned beans (2%) and bananas (4%).

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Food basket prices increased in all regions

The food basket cost more in all the areas where prices were checked:

• In Johannesburg the basket cost R258,20 (4.9%) more compared to a month ago and R617,21 (12.6%) more than a year ago.
• In Durban the basket cost R170,46 (3.4%) more than a month ago and R503,16 (10.8%) more than a year ago.
• In Cape Town the basket cost R90,25 (1.7%) more than a month ago and R532,09 (11.2%) more than a year ago.
• In Springbok the basket cost R186,57 (3.4%) more than a month ago and R567,83 (11.2%) more than a year ago.
• In Pietermaritzburg the basket cost R6.86 (0.1%) more than a month ago R245,82 (5.2%) more than a year ago.
• In Mtubatuba the basket cost R144,43 (2.7%) more than a month ago and R1 112,17 (25.5%) more than a year ago.

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Minimum wage not enough to feed a family of four

It is clear that a worker earning the National Minimum Wage of R25,42 an hour and R203.36 for an 8-hour day will be unable to afford the food basket. In October, with 22 working days, a general worker earned R4 473,92.

For black South African workers one wage typically supports four people and dispersed in a worker’s family of four the wage is reduced to R1 118,48 per person, significantly lower than the upper-bound poverty line of R1 558 per person per month.

In October a basic nutritional food basket for a family of four cost R3 655,70 according to the food basket survey. 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 takes up 55,7% of a worker’s wage.

Workers only buy food after paying for transport and electricity, leaving only R1 983,00 for food and everything else. Therefore, the group calculates that families underspent on food by a minimum of 45.8%.

In this scenario workers cannot possibly afford enough nutritious food for their families. If the entire R1 983,00 went to buy food, a family of four has R495,75 per person per month to spend on food, again far below the food poverty line of R760.

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Nutritious food for one child cost R932,73 but child grant is R510

In October the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet was R932,73, which was R25,30 (2.8%) more than the previous month and R107,42 (13%) more than a year ago. Compare this to the child support grant of R510: it is 33% below the food poverty line of R760 and 45% below the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet of R932,73.

In addition, the household domestic and personal hygiene index shows an increase of R2,21 (0.2%) from September to October and R109,04 (12.3%) more to a year ago, bringing the total average cost of basic household domestic and personal hygiene products to R999,05 in October. The cost of basic hygiene products is high and these products compete in the household purse with food but are essential for good health and hygiene.