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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