‘Nutritious food still costly’

SURVEY: AVERAGE PRICE OF FOOD BASKET R5 277.93 THIS MONTH

Costs slightly more in Joburg and Cape Town, less in Durban.

Food prices for low-income consumers were stable in March, although nutritious food is still far too expensive for them. This means that low-income households have to cut nutritious food from their food baskets to be able to pay for electricity and transport as well.

According to the Household Food Basket survey conducted by women in low-income communities in Johannesburg (Soweto, Alexandra, Tembisa and Hillbrow); Durban (CBD, KwaMashu, Umlazi, Isipingo, Hammarsdale and Pinetown); Cape Town (Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Philippi, Langa, Delft and Dunoon); Northern KwaZulu-Natal (Pietermaritzburg and

Mtubatuba); and Northern Cape (Springbok), the average cost of the food basket was R5 277.93 this month.

The prices form part of the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Groups’ Household Affordability Index that tracks the prices of 44 basic foods from 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries.

The average cost of the Household Food Basket increased by R0.63 this month, from R5 277.30 in February, and also increased by R311.72 (6.3%), from R4 966.20 in March 2023.

The prices of 28 food items increased this month, while the prices of 16 food items decreased.

Prices that increased by 5% or more include curry powder (6%), chicken feet (6%), beef tripe (6%), fish (8%), tomatoes (12%), and cabbage (12%).

Food items that cost 2% or more include rice (3%), sugar beans (4%), samp (2%), stock cubes (3%), tea (3%), chicken gizzards (3%), chicken livers (2%), green pepper (2%), Cremora (3%), canned beans (2%), and brown bread (3%).

The prices of some food items also declined, such as carrots (-7%) butternut (-20%), apples (-6%), oranges (-22%), potatoes (-4%), beef liver (-2%), spinach (-4%) and white bread (-2%).

The Household Food Basket cost slightly more in Johannesburg and Cape Town and significantly more in Springbok, while it cost marginally less in Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Mtubatuba.

The Johannesburg basket increased by R29.76 compared to February and by R367.07 compared to March 2023. The Cape Town basket increased by R47.55 compared to February and by R230.83 compared to March 2023, while the Springbok basket increased by R288.84 compared to February and by R432.71 compared to March 2023.

The Durban basket decreased by R18.83 compared to February and increased by R372.71 (7.7%) compared to March 2023. The Pietermaritzburg basket decreased by R1.91 compared to February and increased by R229.78 compared to March 2023, while the Mtubatuba basket decreased by R12.34 compared to February and increased by R225.50 in March 2023.

This month, the national minimum wage was R27.58 an hour and R220.64 for an 8-hour day. With 19 working days in March, the maximum for a general worker was R4 192.16.

Black workers usually depend on one wage to support 3.8 people and dispersed in a worker’s family of four, the wage is reduced to R1 048.04 per person – far below the upper-bound poverty line of R1 558 per person per month.

In March, the basic nutritional food basket for a family of four cost R3 694.62.

Using Pietermaritzburg-based figures and the average figure for a minimum nutritional basket of food for a family of four, the group calculates that electricity and transport took up 57.9% of a worker’s wage (R2 426.92/R4 192.16).

This leaves only R1 765.24 for food and everything else.

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