Cost of Pietermaritzburg’s household food basket goes down

The cost of the Pietermaritzburg household food basket decreased in the month of February.

This is according to the Pietermaritzburg economic justice and dignity (PMBEJD) household affordability index.

The PMBEJD said the basket decreased by R99,21 (-2,0%) month-on-month and increased by R566,19 (13,5%) year-on-year to R4 751,76 last month.

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Maize meal, samp, butternut, spinach, cabbage, green pepper, and oranges increased by five percent or more while rice, salt, soup, tripe, tomatoes, bananas and apples increased by two percent and more.
These are some of the core foods that are always included in a household basket.

PMBEJD said when the prices of core foods increases, there is less money to secure other important mostly nutritionally rich foods, which are essential for health and wellbeing and strong immune systems. Their data showed that the core foods contribute 55% of the total cost of the household food basket.

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At an average cost of R2 705,53 in February, these foods are relatively very expensive in relation to the total money available in the household purse to secure food. These foods must be bought regardless of price escalations. The high cost of core staple foods result in a lot of proper nutritious food being removed off the family plates. The consequences of high costs on the core foods has a negative impact on overall household health and wellbeing, and child development.
They said the February cost of a basic nutritional food basket for a family of four persons is R3 388,00.

According to PMBEJD’s 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, electricity and transport takes up 60% of a worker’s wage (R2 227,50 or R3 710,40).

They said the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet last month was R864,06.

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They said in the past month this increased by R11,02 (1,3%) while the year-on-year average cost increased by R92,11(11,9%).

They said the child support grant of R480 was 28% below the food poverty line of R663 and 44% below the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet.

Mothers use the child support grant to buy food for their children. Food inflation, as measured by Statistics South Africa, through the Consumer Price Index, is 13,8% in January 2023. PMBEJD’s food inflation data, which specifically looks at families earning low incomes is 13,1% on the average household food basket in February 2023 and 11,9% on our nutritional food basket for children.
PMBEJD said they were calling for the totality of the annual increase of R30 on the child support grant to be given from April 2023 with no split of R20 in April and thereafter a six-month delay of the R10 resulting in a monthly grant of R510.

The increase of R30 is so little in the midst of such high food prices. The electricity tariff increase of 18,65% will also come into effect in June and July, adding further strain on mothers, and removing more food off the plates of children.