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TimesLIVE
a day ago
- 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
2 days ago
- 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."
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Household food basket shows food prices still increasing
While interest rates and fuel prices, as well as inflation, are lower, the picture for low-income consumers has not changed. The price of the household food basket for May shows that food prices for low-income consumers are still increasing despite the inflation rate slowing down. This means that low-income consumers can afford even less nutritious food. The household food basket is part of the Household Affordability Index compiled by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group with the help of women who live in low-income communities where they shop at 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Mtubatuba in Northern KwaZulu-Natal and Springbok in the Northern Cape. The average price of the household food basket, which contains 44 food items, was R5 466.59 in May and cost R46,29 (0.9%) more than in April and R136.29 (2.6%) more than in May 2024. A total of 33 of the food items cost more than a month ago, while the prices of the other 11 items deceased. Foods in the basket which increased in price in May 2025 by 5% or more, include: potatoes (7%), onions (23%), tea (5%), chicken feet (6%), carrots (8%), butternut (9%), spinach (5%), and peanut butter (5%). Food items that cost more were samp (2%), salt (2%), frozen chicken portions (2%), soup (2%), Maas (4%), beef liver (3%), beef (4%), wors (3%), fish (2%), cabbage (2%), Cremora (3%), bananas (2%), apples (2%), margarine (3%), polony (3%) and apricot jam (2%). The food items in the basket which decreased in price in May include rice (-5%), tomatoes (-9%), oranges (-23%), white sugar (-2%), full cream milk (-2%), green pepper (-2%) and tinned pilchards (-2%). ALSO READ: Steep increase in price of household food basket means more people will go hungry Household food basket cost more everywhere except in Springbok The average total price of the household food basket increased in Johannesburg (by R51), Durban (by R2.64), Cape Town (by R112.62), Pietermaritzburg (by R6.33) and Mtubatuba (by R87.51), while the price decreased in Springbok. The food basket decreased in price by R28.90. Statistics SA's latest Consumer Price Index for April 2025 shows that headline inflation was 2.8%, while food inflation was 3.3%, and the producer price index for March shows agriculture was at 2.4%. However, despite the lower inflation, low-income consumers are still struggling to afford enough food for their families. Workers who earn the National Minimum Wage of R28.79 per hour or R230.32 for an 8-hour day. In May, with 21 working days, the maximum wage for a general worker was R4 836.72. Black South African workers usually support four people on one wage, which means that, dispersed in a worker's family of four, the wage comes to R1 209.18 per person, far below the upper-bound poverty line of R1 634 per person per month. ALSO READ: Household food basket: prices drop, but not for core staple foods Low-income consumers cannot afford household food basket The average cost of a basic nutritional food basket for a family of four was R3 843.40 in May. 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 calculates that electricity and transport (R2 722.97) take up 56.3% of a worker's wage. Mervyn Abrahams, programme coordinator for the group, points out that workers only buy food after setting aside money for transport and electricity, leaving R2 113.75 for food and everything else. 'This means that in May we calculate that workers' families underspent on food by a minimum of 45.0%, having R2 113.75 left over after paying for transport and electricity. And with food for the month costing R3 843.40, there is no possibility of a worker being able to afford enough nutritious food for her family. 'If she uses the entire R2 113.75 to buy food, it will provide R528.44 per person per month for a family of four, again far below the food poverty line of R796.' ALSO READ: Consumer Goods Council calls for urgent expansion of zero-rated foods No money for nutritious food for children in household food basket He says women and children are particularly vulnerable. In May, the average cost to feed a child a basic, nutritious diet was R979.66, with an increase of R6.41 (0.7%) from April and R25.07 (2.6%) compared to a year ago. In May, the Child Support Grant of R560 was 30% below the Food Poverty Line of R796 and 43% below the average cost to feed a child a basic, nutritious diet of R979.66. It is clear that there is simply no money to feed children in low-income communities a proper, nutritious diet.
eNCA
6 days ago
- Business
- eNCA
Escalating food prices hit consumers hard
JOHANNESBURG - The cost of essential groceries has increased across the country. That's according to the May Household Affordability Index. It highlights the growing gap between our income and the cost of living, and it's only making the economic picture even bleaker. Mervyn Abrahams from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group says a basket of food with basic essential stuff ads to R5466, which is a 1% increase from a month ago. He says most increases are witnessed in staple foods like potatoes, onions, spinach and chicken. Abrahams has attributed these increases to season changes, fuel prices and retail sector increases.
IOL News
28-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Rising food prices choke South African households
Food basket. South African families are increasingly burdened by soaring food prices, with many unable to afford basic nutrition as costs continue to rise dramatically. Discover the latest insights from the May 2025 Household Affordability Index and what it means for households across the nation. Image: File image In a stark reflection of the economic pressure faced by South African families, the latest Household Affordability Index for May 2025 revealed an increase in the cost of basic groceries across the country. The report highlighted the ongoing escalation of food prices as well as the widening gap between wages and the rising cost of living, particularly for the poorest households. Compiled monthly by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD), the food index showed that in May 2025, the average cost of a household food basket was R5 466,59. This was a month-on-month increase of 0.9% (R46.29) and a yearly increase of 2.6% (R136.29). Price movements signal ongoing struggles Of the 44 foods examined, 33 items saw price hikes in May 2025, with several staples experiencing increases of 5% or more. Potatoes, onions, and chicken feet exemplify the troubling trend; the cost of onions alone soared by an alarming 23%. Other notable increases included: Carrots - 8% Spinach - 5% Peanut butter - 5% Conversely, some relief was noted as 11 food items recorded price drops. Rice, tomatoes, and oranges saw significant reductions, with oranges falling by as much as 23%, although these decreases are overshadowed by the overall trend of rising costs. Nutrition under threat The index further showed that the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet rose to R979.66. "With the Child Support Grant of R560 being 30% below the Food Poverty Line, many families are left struggling to provide adequate nutrition, forcing some to choose between essential food and hygiene products," the PMBEJD stated. Statistics South Africa's Consumer Price Index indicated food inflation is at 3.3%, with lower-income quintiles experiencing even higher rates of inflation, suggesting that the poorest households are unfairly burdened by rising costs. Often, essential expenses such as electricity and transport consume over half a worker's net wage, leaving limited funds for food. "The increased cost of living and stagnant wages indicate a looming crisis for many South African families. With essential food items becoming increasingly unaffordable, urgent action is needed to address these disparities and ensure that all citizens can afford basic nutrition and live with dignity. Policymakers must consider these findings, as the implications of inaction could be profound, affecting health, wellbeing, and societal stability," the PMBEJD said. The situation is further complicated by the geographical disparities in food prices. While Johannesburg's basket increased by R51,00, Cape Town recorded the most significant rise at R112,62. In contrast, Springbok residents witnessed the only decrease, highlighting the uneven burden of inflation spread across the country. Workers While the unemployment rate in the country sits at 32.9%, even those who are employed are struggling. The National Minimum Wage (NMW) is R28.79 per hour, R230.32 for an 8-hour day, R4,836.72 for a 21-day month. The NMW translates to R1 209.18 per person for a family of four, below the upper-bound poverty line of R1 634 per person monthly. The NMW in South Africa is failing to keep pace with living costs, leaving workers struggling to support their families, especially in black households where one wage often supports four individuals. The food index stated that electricity and transport together consume 56.3% of a worker's wage. The index further showed that families will underspend on food by 45%, with only R2,113.75 left after essential bills. The amount remaining for food provides R528.44 per person, below the food poverty line of R796. "The financial strain on workers underscores systemic issues within wage policies and cost of living adjustments, highlighting the urgent need for reforms to ensure that workers can afford basic necessities," the group said. BUSINESS REPORT Visit:
