Millions can’t buy necessities in SA, survey finds

An estimated 21.6 million South African adults have not been able to buy essential items in the past month, according to new data from financial comparison website Finder.com.

A survey of 1,504 South African adults revealed more than half (56%) had been unable to buy necessities like hand sanitiser or soap, fresh food, dry food, medicine, toilet paper or other toiletries.

According Angus Kidman, the global editor-in-chief at Finder, a staggering number of South Africans have been unable to buy essential items due to Covid-19.

“The biggest shortage has been for hand sanitiser or soap, with more than a third (37%) of those polled reporting they have been unable to buy some in the last month – the most of any country included in the study,” said Kidman.

He said one in five people had not been able to buy toilet paper or fresh food (21% each) and a large number had also not been able to buy medicine (19%), or dry food (18%), as well as other toiletries apart from toilet paper.

“It seems some people have forgotten that in order to prevent the spread of a global pandemic, we all need clean hands,” noted Kidman.

For people like Siphesihle Nkosi from Jeppestown in Johannesburg, who do not have access to the internet for online shopping, standing in long lines at shopping centres is the only way to buy sanitation products.

“We have to wake up early to go and buy toilet paper and hand sanitisers, which takes almost the whole day because of the long lines,” she said.

Nkosi said that since the lockdown, she had been unable to buy most of the things she wanted because they were either too expensive, or were not available because the stock had been cleared out by bulk buyers.

“The government should have made sure that people have access to these things because we are now risking getting infected by standing in these lines the whole day,” she said.

Joseph Phiri, who lives in Sophiatown, said the lockdown was making life very difficult because prices were going up and the supply was diminishing.

“How does the government expect us to live when we cannot afford to buy food and groceries in bulk when we are not working and sitting at home,” said Phiri.

The study also revealed that South Africans were the least likely to be able to buy dry food or toiletries compared with their overseas counterparts.

Kidman said the survey, which was also conducted in six other countries, discovered that the Philippines recorded the highest number of people who were unable to buy essential goods (58%), followed closely by the US and South Africa (56% each).

“Of the six countries, those living in Hong Kong are least likely to report being unable to buy what they need (43%),” said Kidman.

To buy groceries online, there are a number of websites such as Amazon, eBay, Pick n Pay, Checkers, Woolworths and UCOOK.

– gcinan@citizen.co.za

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