The average cost of the Household Food Basket, which tracks the prices of 44 basic foods from 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries, in July was R5 252.15, a 62 cents decline from the prior month.
Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group (PMBEJD) said, however, year on year in July the average cost of the Household Food Basket increased by R170.21, or 3.3% from July 2023.
Food that increased:
– Foods in the basket, which increased in price in July by 5% or more, included: samp (6%), eggs (5%), and green pepper (6%).
– Foods in the basket, which increased in price in July 2024 by 2% or more, included: maize meal (2%), rice (3%), chicken livers (2%), cremora (2%), apples (2%), peanut butter (3%), white bread (3%), and brown bread (2%).
Food that decreased:
– Foods in the basket, which decreased in price in July 2024, by 5% or more, include: tomatoes (-8%), carrots (-9%), butternut (-6%), spinach (-6%), and oranges (-5%).
– Foods in the basket, which decreased in price in July 2024, by 2% or more, include: onions (-2%), curry powder (-4%), soup (-2%), tea (-4%), chicken gizzards (-2%), wors (-2%), beef tripe (-2%), cabbage (-4%), polony (-2%), and apricot jam (-2%).
Food poverty line
The July average cost of a basic nutritional food basket for a family of four persons is R3 669.23
PMBEJD calculates that workers’ families this month will underspend on food by a minimum of 40.3% (having R2 191.75 left over after transport and electricity, and with food costing R3 669.23).
“On our calculations, using Pietermaritzburg-based figures for electricity and transport, and the average figure for a minimum nutritional basket of food for a family of four, puts electricity, and transport, taking up 56.8% of a worker’s wage (R2 882.97/R5 074.72). Food is bought after money for transport and electricity has been paid for or set aside leaving R2 191.75 – for food and everything else,” it added.
“In this scenario there is no possibility of a worker being able to afford enough nutritious food for her family. If the entire R2 191.75 all went to buy food, then for a family of four persons, we are looking at R547.93 per person per month. This is below the food poverty line,” it said.
This as the National Minimum Wage (NMW) was R27.58 an hour and R220.64 for an 8-hour day. In July 2024, with 23 working days, the maximum NMW for a general worker was R5 074.72.
"For Black South African workers, one wage typically must support four people. Dispersed in a worker’s family of four persons, the NMW, is R1 268.68 per person – this is below the upper-bound poverty line of R1 558 per person per month,“ it said.
BUSINESS REPORT