Household food basket: still too expensive for low-income consumers

The household food basket cost slightly more in December than in November and more than a year ago, while it remains too expensive for low-income consumers who battle to feed their families on the National Minimum Wage.

According to the Household Affordability Index compiled by women from low-income communities from stores where they shop for their own families, the average cost of the household food basket was R5 383.38 in December, R22.34 (0.4%) more than in November and R145.18 (2.8%) more than in December 2023.

The Household Affordability Index tracks the prices of 44 basic foods from 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Mtubatuba (in northern KwaZulu-Natal) and Springbok (in the Northern Cape).

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Foods in household food basket that increased or decreased in price

In December, 21 of the foods in the basket cost more, while 22 decreased in price. Foods in the basket which increased in price in December by 5% or more included spinach (9%), bananas (7%) and apples (9%).

The foods in the basket that increased in price by between 2% and 5% include samp (2%), curry powder (3%), chicken feet (3%), tomatoes (3%), carrots (2%), canned beans (2%), apricot jam (2%), and white bread (4%).

Foods that decreased in price by 5% or more include potatoes (-5%) and onions (-14%), while foods that decreased by between 2% and 5% include salt (-3%), soup (-4%), eggs (-2%), gizzards (-2%), Cremora (-2%) and polony (-4%).

The average price of the food basket increased in Durban (1%), Springbok (0.8%), Pietermaritzburg (0.6%), and Mtubatuba (1.4%), while it decreased marginally in Johannesburg (0.0%) and Cape Town (0.3%).

According to Statistics South Africa’s latest Consumer Price Index for November, headline inflation was 2.9%, while food inflation was 1.6%.

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National Minimum Wage not enough to afford household food basket

Workers in low-income communities usually earn the National Minimum Wage, currently R27.58 per hour, and R220.64 for an 8-hour day. In December 2024, with 19 working days, the maximum wage for a general worker was R4 192.16.

Black South African workers usually support four people, which means that dispersed in a worker’s family of four, the wage is R1 048.04 per person, far below the upper-bound poverty line of R1 634 per person per month.

Viewed against the background of the basic nutritional food basket for a family of four, which costs R3 799.59, it is clear that low-income consumers cannot afford enough nutritious food for their families.

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 calculated that electricity and transport take up R2 562.97 (61.1%) of a worker’s wage of R4 192,16.

They buy food only after paying for transport and electricity, leaving them with only R1 629.19 for food and everything else. Therefore, the group calculates that workers’ families will underspend on food by a minimum of 57.1%.

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Not enough money for nutritious food

Mervyn Abrahams from the group says that in this scenario, a worker cannot afford enough nutritious food for her family. “If the entire R1 629.19 is used to buy food, it would provide R407.30 per person per month, far below the food poverty line of R796 per person per month.

The picture is even more grim for children in low-income communities. In December, the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet was R968.56, while the Child Support Grant was R530, 33% below the Food Poverty Line of R796 and 45% below the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet.

In addition, the Household Domestic and Personal Hygiene Index for December increased by R13.21 compared to November and by R33.72 compared to a year ago, bringing the total average cost of basic household domestic and personal hygiene products to R1 033.31.

Abrahams says the cost of basic hygiene products is high. “These products are part of the monthly groceries and compete with food in the household purse. These products are essential for good health, hygiene, and dignity.”