Fact Check: The extent of South Africa's current poverty crisis

Fact Check: The extent of South Africa's current poverty crisis

- Poverty is a word South Africans hear often amid difficult financial times

- But what is the true extent of the problem and how does one measure it?

- Briefly.co.za examines the situation to bring you the fact behind it

PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed!

South Africa's slow economic growth has seen more and more citizens facing unemployment.

In fact, just recently, one of the country's largest steelwork companies announced it would be shutting down a bustling plant with 900 more joining the millions of jobless nationals.

Briefly.co.za takes a look at the true grip poverty has on the country:

Statistics South Africa provided the country with its official national poverty lines, namely:

  • The food poverty line or extreme poverty line
  • The lower-bound poverty line
  • The upper-bound poverty line

READ ALSO: Business News: 900 jobs lost as ArcelorMittal closes Saldanha plant

The food poverty line is simply based on the number of nutrients a person needs to sustain life. The current threshold in Mzansi stands at 2 100 calories.

To put this into perspective the United Nations' minimum daily consumption requirement in emergency situations equates to the same amount.

To translate this figure into a more tangible amount, a person requires R547 worth of food every month to hit this line. The upper-bound poverty line allows for R1183 a month for every person.

As of the most recent statistics for 2015 56% of the South African populace lives below the upper-bound poverty line.

A quarter of the populated lived in extreme poverty at the time, meaning that one in four citizens battle to meet the daily requirements for nutrition.

AfricaCheck reports that South Africans most vulnerable to poverty include women, black citizens, minors and residents of the Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces.

Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!

Source: Briefly News

Online view pixel