South Africans Tighten Belts as Cost of Food Basket Rises to R4 000 a Month
- South Africans are being forced to pay more for food as the cost of basic foodstuffs soar between 31% to 68%
- This is a worrying trend as the minimum wage in South Africa is just R3 321, well below the average food basket in South Africa which runs at R4 000
- Social media users took to the internet to react to the news that the cost of living in South Africa has gone up
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South Africans are going to have to fork out more money each month as the cost of living crisis. The 2021 Household Affordability Index has revealed the food staples have increased by between 31% to 68%.
This has resulted in the average cost of a household food basket rising to R4 051.20.
Economic Justice & Dignity Group Programme director Mervyn Abrahams has said that 60% of South Africans earn the minimum wage which equates to R3 321 per month.
Source: Getty Images
This is worrying as the average cost of a food basket now exceeds the minimum wage on South Africa.
Social media users reacted to the news that food prices have increased in South Africa.
@AusiDini:
"This is such a heartbreaking read . The average cost of the Household Food Basket is R4 051,20. In a country with such high unemployment, and a minimum wage of R3 321,60...and grants way below that...can you imagine how many people are starving or eating non-nutritious food? Yoh"
@kasisoul_ZAW:
"One has to still add transport and electricity into that cost. No wonder the Metrorails are heavily packed with our people bridging their electricity. This is just not enough to cover even the basics. Its a sad state of affairs for South Africa."
Earlier, Briefly.co.za reported that fireworks are synonymous with South Africa's festive season but a different kind of explosion made waves this past December. 2020 will go down in the echelons of history as the year that was ground to a halt by Covid-19.
While many people chose to look to festivities to inspire hope during the holiday season, soaring food prices mirrored reality. Not many people afforded the luxury of having a braai or putting that traditional gammon on their menu this past Christmas.
The average cost of a food basket for December shot up to R4 000, according to a report by Fresh Plaza. This is a whopping R520 more compared to December 2019.
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Source: Briefly News
