South Africans have forked out around R350 more for a household food basket in August 2023, in comparison to August 2022.
According to the Household Affordability Index by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group (PMBEJD), the average cost of a household food basket increased by R348.75 from August 2022 to August 2023.
The index showed that for August 2023, the average cost of a household food basket is R5,124.34. In August 2022, the average cost of a food basket was R4,775.59.
From July 2023 to August 2023, the average cost of a household food basket increased by R42.40. The average cost of a food basket increased from R5,081,94 in July 2023 to R5,124.34 in August 2023.
One of the major concerns in terms of increases in the average cost of a household food basket is the increase in the cost of core staple foods. According to the index, core staples are food items that consumers prioritise first in their trolleys and in their grocery budgets.
The cost of core food staples for August 2023 is R2,826.37 and over the past year, the cost of these items has increased by R201.44 or 7,7%.
Core food staples, which include food items such as cake flour, maize meal, cooking oil, frozen chicken portions, samp, soup, bread, and tea.
With the national minimum wage, the maximum that a general worker can earn in a month to support their whole household is R4,473.92.
According to Mervyn Abrahams, programme coordinator of PMBEJD, South African consumers prioritise the cost of transport, electricity, and debt servicing in their budgets before they even consider food.
Calculations done by PMBEJD using Pietermaritzburg figures for the cost of transport and electricity show that those costs take up 55,7% of a worker’s wage. That is R2,490.92 of the total R4473.92 that a general worker earns.
This means that a general worker will only have R1,983 to take care of other costs, such as food and other expenses. This amount is not even enough to cover the costs of a household’s core food staples.
The August 2023 Household Affordability Index tracked the food price data for 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Springbok, and Mtubatuba.
The index showed that for August 2023, the average cost of a food basket increased in five of the six cities mentioned above. Pietermaritzburg was the only city to show a decrease in the average cost of a food basket.
For August 2023:
The cost of a Johannesburg basket increased by R64.28 month-on-month and by R327.28 year-on-year. The cost of a Johannesburg basket for August 2023 is R5,215.79.
The cost of a Durban basket increased by R47.73 month-on-month and by R261.62 year-on-year. The cost of a Durban basket for August 2023 is R5,069.40.
The cost of a Cape Town basket increased by R7,24 month-on-month and by R437,40 year-on-year. The cost of a Cape Town basket for August 2023 is R5,062,03.
The cost of a Springbok basket increased by R79.71 month-on-month and by R447.72 year-on-year. The cost of a Springbok basket for August 2023 is R5,380.03.
The cost of a Pietermaritzburg basket decreased by R14.58 month-on-month and increased by R259.81 year-on-year. The cost of a Pietermaritzburg basket for August 2023 is R4,930.14.
In Mtubatuba, the average cost of a food basket increased by R54.51 month-on-month and by R351.80 year-on-year. The cost for a Mtubatuba food basket is R5,223.79 for August 2023.
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