Despite VAT exemption, some zero-rated food prices increased in past 12 months
Of the 44 foods tracked in the basket, 19 foods increased in price. Foods that increased in price by 5% or more include onions (9%) and beef (5%).
'Households living on low incomes change their purchasing patterns in response to changes in affordability conditions,' said Abrahams.
'On low incomes, women buy the core staple foods first so that their families do not go hungry and for basic meals to be prepared. Where the money remaining is short, women have no choice but to drop foods from their trolleys or reduce the volumes of nutritionally rich foods in their trolleys.'
This had negative consequences for health, wellbeing and nutrition, he said.
'As financial and economic circumstances worsen, so too does household health and nutrition. The gap between what women are able to buy and what they need to buy for proper nutrition widens.'
The report states that the national minimum wage (NMW) 'is a poverty wage — it hurts workers, it reduces productivity in the workplace, and slows down economic growth.
'The maximum wage of R4,606.40 this June when disbursed in a family of four people is R1,151.60. This is below the upper-bound poverty line of R1,634 per capita per month. Set at such a low level, the NMW works to institutionalise the low-baseline wage regime and lock millions of workers into poverty.
'Small annual increments off such a low wage base (in rand value) — and which do not reflect inflation levels as experienced by workers, nor the actual cost of worker expenses — means that workers on the NMW are getting poorer each year.
'The minimum shortfall on food for a family is 48.5%. After paying for transport and electricity, workers are left with R1,963.43. If all of this money went to food, then for a family of four it would provide R490.85 per person per month. The food poverty line is R796 per person per month.'
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Despite VAT exemption, some zero-rated food prices increased in past 12 months
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13 hours ago
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