Latest news with #PietermaritzburgEconomicJusticeandDignityGroup
TimesLIVE
02-07-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Durban has cheapest grocery basket — but families still can't afford to fill it
While many South Africans are grappling with the high cost of food, new data show that food prices in Durban are lower than in most cities in the country. This is according to the latest Household Affordability Index compiled by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD) which revealed that the coastal city saw a month-on-month decrease of R115.65 in food costs, though prices are still R184.39 higher compared with the same time last year. The index, which tracks the prices of 44 basic food items from 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries across six cities, found that the national average cost of the household food basket was R5,443.12 in June. Joburg remains one of the more expensive cities for groceries and the average basket cost increased slightly by R38.38 month-on-month, reaching R5,648.85. This was a 2% increase from June 2024. Cape Town saw a slight month-on-month drop of R31.95, bringing the basket to R5,397.23 though this is a sharp 5.8% increase compared with last year. Springbok, which often records the highest food prices, experienced a month-on-month decline of R107.51 but still registered a significant annual increase of R300.47, taking the average basket to R5,772.43. In smaller cities such as Pietermaritzburg, the basket rose to R5,147.25, up R96.45 month-on-month and Mtubatuba's basket increased by R27.59 to R5,427.65.
IOL News
26-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Household food basket sees minor decrease, but relief remains uncertain for South Africans
Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD) Household Affordability Index released on Wednesday indicated a slight decrease in the month-on-month: Household Food Basket of R23,46 from May to June 2025 Image: Armand Hough: Independent Newspapers The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD) on Wednesday warned that concerns have grown over affordability despite household food basket seeing a slight dip in June. The PMBEJD released its Household Affordability Index for June on Wednesday, revealing a marginal month-on-month decrease in the average cost of its tracked household food basket, now sitting at R5 443.12. This represents a decrease of R23.46—or 0.4%—from R5 466.59 in May. However, the annual comparison tells a different story: the cost has risen by R190.36 (3.6%) from R5 252.77 in June 2024, raising concerns among civil society groups about the adequacy of such a decrease for struggling households. Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ Mervyn Abrahams, director of the PMBEJD, indicated that out of 44 foods monitored within the basket, 19 saw increases in their prices while 25 experienced declines. Notably, notable hikes included onions with a 9% increase and beef prices, which rose by 5%. Meanwhile, a few foodstuffs did see significant price drops, such as potatoes, which fell by 11%, and butternut, which decreased by 5%. 'Foods in the basket which decreased in price in June 2025 by 2% or more include rice, sugar beans, curry powder, full cream milk, fish, cremora, polony, and brown bread,' Abrahams said. Siyanda Baduza, a researcher at the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ), said that the small decrease in the price of food will provide some relief. However, Baduza said this will do very little to ease the high cost of living faced by poor households, who now also have to contend with an increase in the fuel levy. 'Many households - almost half, according to the latest General Household Survey - rely on at least one form of social grant, and these remain woefully inadequate. This is especially true for the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, which targets working-age people and is still only at R370 and thus worth significantly less now than it was at R350 in 2020.' Baduza added that similarly, the Child Support Grant, at R560, fell far below the food poverty line (almost R800) and was even further below the cost required to feed a child a nutritious food basket (R1 000). Evashnee Naidoo, Black Sash KZN regional manager, said though Durban in particular saw a decrease of R115.65 month-on-month, food prices do show an increase on an annual basis. 'Whilst there might be reductions in some basic food items, there are increases on other items which continue to challenge and burden middle to low-income households. This, combined with the increase in electricity prices, the nominal decreases in fuel prices, as well as high costs for basic hygiene, fail to reveal any savings in households,' she said. Naidoo added that food insecurity continued to rise and individuals and households were struggling to make ends meet and were even entering into debt to buy food and basic essentials. 'The inadequacy of government policies to cushion people from the impact of global insecurity, as well as a shrinking economy, which exacerbates inequality, poverty, and unemployment in South Africa amplifies Black Sash's call for a Basic Income Support for those aged 18-59 years old, as well as a Social Protection Floor which provides for the basic minimums for all who live in South Africa,' she said. Aliya Chikte, project manager at the Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC), said that the marginal decline in food prices in June offered little relief to most South African households struggling to survive on a monthly income of less than R8 000. 'According to Statistics South Africa's Income and Expenditure Survey, over 35% of household spending goes toward essential utilities - housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels,' she said. Chikte added that this means that very little is left over to cover the costs of a nutritious diet, resulting in widespread hunger and a simultaneous occurrence of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and obesity within communities due to the affordability and unemployment crises. BUSINESS REPORT
IOL News
16-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Rising food costs leave Durban families struggling to make ends meet
Families in Durban are grappling with the rising cost of food, as recent findings reveal a significant increase in the average household food basket. With salaries remaining stagnant, many are left struggling to afford basic necessities. The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD) shared its May findings, which showed the average cost of the household food basket increased by R46.29 (0.9%), from R5 420.30 in April 2025 to R5 466.59 in May 2025. Within a year, the average cost of the household food basket increased by R136.29 (2.6%), from R5 330.30 in May 2024 to R5 466.59 in May 2025. Subashni Govender, 50, a sales assistant, from Tongaat, said she was struggling to stretch her salary through the month. 'Food prices continue to climb. I am living from hand to mouth. It is difficult to even buy basic groceries, not to mention our utility bills which are so high. By the time we pay our bills, there is not enough for food. Thankfully, I have some people who help me financially, otherwise I would not be able to survive,' she said. 'Meat is so expensive that I have not eaten it in months. I only eat chicken when it goes on sale. I mostly eat vegetables. We cannot afford to buy food at normal prices and only shop during the sales. Oil is required in all our foods and it is also so expensive. I don't know how we are going to survive if te prices get any higher." Sangitha Rampersad, 52, a single mother of two, also of Tongaat, was laid off from work last week after her company was liquidated. She is stressed about being unemployed and the rising food prices. 'Basic foods like rice, flour, oil, sugar and other big items are expensive. At least if those basic items were lower in price, we could safely feed our family. We cannot afford luxuries and don't eat take-out. "I shop for food items that would last through the month and help with lunch as well. I always sit with the different supermarket catalogues and compare them to find the cheapest deals. What do you say to someone who cannot even buy a loaf of bread? It's crippling and upsetting,' said Rampersad. Sidney Chetty, 45, a mechanic, from Stanger, said as a breadwinner the rising food costs made it difficult for him to make ends meet. 'I am the only one working in my family of four, so we have to stretch my salary for the month. My children are young, and require many necessities, which are also expensive. Sometimes we don't have enough money to buy bread but we try to budget each month to ensure we have food on the table. I don't get a fixed salary for my job. Some months are better than others but we never have enough to to splurge of luxuries. The cost of living does not allow it. 'Just buying milk, bread and maybe baked beans, already sets me back. With the price of food rising, I don't know how much longer we can survive on my salary. I wished there was a coupon system in South Africa that could help us pay less for food,' said Chetty. The PMBEJD found that in May 2025, the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet was R979.66. 'Over the past month, the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet increased by R6.41 (0.7%). Year-on-year, the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet increased by R25.07 (2.6%),' read the PMBEJD report. THE POST
TimesLIVE
04-06-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Reduce food prices and add food wastage laws, urges anti-hunger movement
With more South African families being forced to cut nutritious food from their plates because of rising costs, advocacy movement United Against Hunger has initiated a nationwide petition campaign to exert pressure on government and retailers to reduce food prices on nutritious best buys. This comes as the latest Household Affordability Index report by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD) showed a 3.1% year-on-year increase in core staples such as brown bread, cooking oil, maize meal, tea, potatoes, frozen chicken pieces, white sugar and sugar beans. United Against Hunger, which comprises the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund and the Healthy Living Alliance , is demanding through its petition that retailers drop food prices for '10 best buys' including rice, long-life milk, soya, eggs, tinned fish, dried beans, peanut butter, fortified maize meal, maas and lentils. 'These foods are full of protein and energy. That doesn't mean that other foods are not important. These foods could provide high nutritional value at the lowest cost, especially for families living below the poverty line.' The movement also called on government to implement legislation on food wastage in South Africa, saying companies 'can't just throw away fresh food when people go to bed hungry'. 'We demand more public engagement in the government's draft National Food Security and Nutrition Plan. Over the years, many organisations have built public pressure to increase and top up social grants. But even if we get the significant social grant increases we have been demanding, the cost of living will undermine these victories and keep people in poverty. The R370 [grant] is hardly enough to travel to a job interview or start a small business, let alone buy enough food for the month.' According to the Household Affordability Index, core foods are bought first to ensure families don't go hungry. 'When the prices of core foods increase, there is less money to secure other important nutritionally-rich foods, which are essential for health, wellbeing and strong immune systems. These include meat, eggs and dairy which are critical for protein, iron and calcium; vegetables and fruit, which are critical for vitamins, minerals and fibre; and maas, peanut butter and pilchards, which contain good fats, protein and calcium essential for children,' said Mervyn Abrahams of PMBEJD. The data shows that the core foods contribute 54% of the total cost of the household food basket. 'At an average cost of R2,955.34 in May, 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 results 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,' said Abrahams. Overall the latest Household Affordability Index report, which tracks the prices of 44 basic foods from 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town,Pietermaritzburg, Mtubatuba in Northern KZN, and Springbok in the Northern Cape, shows that in May the average cost of the household food basket is R5,466.59 — a 2.6% increase from R5,330 a year ago. Foods that increased by more than 5% include potatoes, onions, tea, carrots, butternut, spinach and peanut butter, while items that increased by 2% or more include samp, frozen chicken portions, fish, wors, cabbage, bananas, apples, margarine and apricot jam. Abrahams said food is bought after transport and electricity have been paid for or money set aside. 'PMBEJD calculated that workers' families will underspend on food by a minimum of 45%. In this scenario there is no possibility of a worker being able to afford enough nutritious food for her family.'
IOL News
03-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Urgent petition launched in South Africa to tackle soaring food prices
Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD) has been mootoring food prices for many years Image: Armand Hough: Independent Newspapers A nationwide petition has been launched calling on the government and retailers to intervene to bring down rising food prices as South Africans are facing a daily battle to feed their families. The action has been brought by United Against Hunger (UAH), which hopes to collect about 100,000 signatures as part of its campaign to reduce food prices. The organisation stated that many families are no longer able to feed themselves, and children are starving. The petition has also been linked with door-to-door campaigns, with affiliates of the union visiting homes to collect signatures and brief residents on the issues of hunger and malnutrition among children. The petition was launched as part of the World Hunger campaigns. Mark Heywood, the leader of UAH, stated that the petition aims to encourage large retailers making significant profits to respond to the moral needs of their customers or to get the government involved in regulating food prices. "The petition is going slower than we had hoped, but we are beginning to engage communities, going door to door in KwaZulu-Natal. Abahlali BaseMjondolo (the shack dwellers' movement) is visiting homes, collecting signatures, and engaging with communities on issues of malnutrition," he said. The 2024 General Household Survey, which was released last week revealed that nearly 14 million South Africans, equivalent to almost a quarter of all households, faced daily hunger last year. The data showed that 22.2% of households reported inadequate or severely inadequate access to food, with the Northern Cape (34.3%), Eastern Cape (31.3%), Mpumalanga (30.4%), and KwaZulu-Natal (23.9%) the most affected provinces. Children are particularly vulnerable. Malnutrition significantly impairs physical and cognitive development, increasing mortality risks and undermining long-term educational and economic outcomes. Heywood said: 'By the age of five, 29% of children have experienced malnutrition and are stunted as a result of not having sufficient food. We know that there are several causes of hunger, and they are complex, but one of the biggest causes is the prices and profiteering off essential foodstuffs." He added that the organisation believes, based on studies by universities, that if food could be made available to poorer people, malnutrition could be significantly reduced. He said they wrote to the CEO of one of the major food stores, urging the company to reduce prices on essential food items for children developing in the early stages of their lives. He emphasised that big companies in the retail sector can afford to reduce prices and are currently making huge profits. "Everyone has a right to sufficient food; that is a constitutional right. If companies that set high food prices are violating the realisation of those rights, then we say the government must regulate not just the quality of food but also the affordability of food to ensure that people in this country do not go hungry. Hunger is a human rights violation; it is not something that we should subject people to because our country produces a surplus of food," he said. Heywood suggested several interventions that can be undertaken, including: Pass legislation to prevent food waste. Reduce food prices Introduce legislation to prevent food wastage Set up a National Food Security and Nutrition Council and finalise the National Plan on Food Security and Nutrition in consultation with communities. Mervyn Abrahams, director of the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group, stated that the calls for food prices to be reviewed are genuine. The group has been assessing food affordability for the past few years. "As we have demonstrated before through our Household Affordability Index, food prices continue to rise both on a monthly and annual basis, making it difficult each and every day for many families, especially those in the low-income bracket, to buy essential food items." He added, "We have been consistent in calling for transparency in the food ecosystem primarily out of concern that big business is driven by the sole desire to make profit. This concern arises from an appreciation that when profits are prioritised above everything else, families find themselves having to make difficult choices and compromises when it comes to buying food because of high prices."
