Access to basic foods lessening for those with limited or no income

While inflation seems to be steadily increasing, the sharp April rise to 4.4% from 3.2% in March has largely been driven by transport costs and food prices.

According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), the year-onyear increase in food and nonalcoholic beverages prices was 6.3%, while transport prices rose by 10,6%. But the reality is that food prices at the tills have increased sharply over the past two years.

A comparison of 2019 and 2021 food prices, conducted by FoodForward SA, shows that basic food prices have increased by 9.83%. Rising food prices area clear indication that access to basic foods is lessening for those with limited or no income.

According to Stats SA’s 2019 General Household Survey – conducted before the pandemic – 28% of South Africans are regarded as poor, because they are living on less than R2 500 per month.

Survey participants in this category described their access to food as inadequate or severe.

The median wage in South Africa is R3 300 and each wage supports an average of 3.5 people – which equates to about
R30 per person per day. The Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy found that in May 2019, a family of four would need to spend R2 524 a month on basic foods.

This is about 32% of a household’s monthly spend, which means a family of four would need to earn R7 800 per month just to afford basic food groceries.

The bureau noted that more than half the country’s population are unable to afford this.

In its 2020 Baseline Agricultural Outlook report, the bureau pointed out that the poorest consumers are spending a disproportionate 40% of their income on food, while the wealthiest spend only 5% on food.

These statistics confirm the dilemma for millions who are much worse off because they can’t afford to buy food.

The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group, which collects data from 44 supermarkets and 30 butcheries in the city, estimated that a basic nutritional food basket was R5 153 per month (PMBEJD Household Affordability Index: April 2021).

The group recorded an 8.9% increase in food prices in the past year, which supports data collected by FoodForward SA.

According to the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group affordability index, more than 55% of the population lives below the upper-bound poverty line of R810 per month.

With more than 30 million people food insecure or severely at risk, we could be facing a catastrophe much worse than
the pandemic, as the situation is desperate for poor people.

With most of our country’s population struggling daily to survive, SA is getting poorer – and fast. Accelerating access
to healthy food in innovative and cost-effective ways is a key determinant of our country’s growth and success.

Du Plessis is FoodForward SA managing director