JOHANNESBURG - The month of August has seen a slight decrease in the cost of the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group’s food basket.
The decrease amounts to R50.72, bringing the cost of the 44 basic food items monitored to R5,479.80.
“It’s a bit of a respite, which is, of course, always welcome for households,” says Mervyn Abrahams of the group.
When looking at year-on-year figures, the food basket has increased by almost R100 compared to August last year.
READ: Food basket eases slightly but these following stables remain costly
Abrahams says one of the main contributors to the decrease is fresh produce. He says, however, that there is still an overall affordability crisis.
The food looked at by the group include:
Maize meal
Rice
Cake Flour
White sugar
Sugar beans
Samp
Cooking
Salt
Potatoes
Onions
Frozen chicken portions
Curry powder
Stock cubes
Soup
Tea
Full cream milk
Maas
Eggs
Chicken feet
Gizzards
Chicken livers
Beef liver
Beef
Wors
Beef tripe
Fish
Tomatoes
Carrots
Butternut
Spinach
Cabbage
Green pepper
Cremora
Tinned pilchards
Canned beans
Bananas
Apples
Oranges
Margarine
Peanut butter
Polony
Apricot jam
White bread
Brown bread
“Households now tell us they prioritise transport and electricity,” says Abrahams.
“And in those two areas, we have seen massive increases this year,” he adds.
As a result, almost 60 percent of consumers’ minimum wage will go towards the two.
“Even when food prices come down, when we look at it from an affordability perspective, the picture looks different,” says Abrahams.