South Africans are struggling to get a grip with their finances following high interest rates, a hike in the cost of electricity and the high cost of petrol.
The tough financial situations of South African consumers has been exacerbated by the steady increase in the cost of food across the country.
The Household Affordability Index by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group (PMBEJD) tracks food price data from 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Mtubatuba, and Springbok in the Northern Cape.
Here is a look at the average cost of a household food basket from January to November 2023:
| Month | Average cost of household food basket |
| January | R4,917.42 |
| February | R4,928.34 |
| March | R4,966.20 |
| April | R5,023.95 |
| May | R5,071.59 |
| June | R5,056.45 |
| July | R5,081.94 |
| August | R5,124.34 |
| September | R5,155.77 |
| October | R5,297.58 |
| November | R5,314.63 |
This table shows that there has been a steady increase in the average cost of a household food basket. From January 2023 to November 2023, the average cost of a household food basket increased by around R400.
According to Mervyn Abrahams the Programme Coordinator at PMBEJD, food falls in last place on the expenses priority list of South African consumers. It comes after transport, electricity and debt servicing. With the high cost of petrol and electricity, consumers have very little left over to take care of food costs.
Instead of struggling to take care food costs, consumers can use the tips to cut the cost of their food bills.
By in bulk
South African retailer Makro suggests bulk-buying non-perishable items as an easy way to save money and stock up your pantry with groceries. Buying in bulk is often the cheaper option because you save on the extra packaging.
Monitor the amount of items you consume in a month, including toilet paper, breakfast cereal and toothpaste.
The process of bulk-buying will be made easier if you know exactly how much you and your family consume in a month, so you only buy what you need. This will also mean less trips to the grocery stores, so you save on petrol and time.
Online shopping
After the pandemic, the use of delivery services and online shopping became a popular way of shopping for consumers.
One of the benefits of online shopping is that instead of using petrol to get to the store, you can save money on fuel and do your online shopping from the comfort of your home.
Online shopping can also help people stick to their budgets by purchasing the grocery items that are on your shopping list, instead of being tempted by impulse buys that can be found at the checkout queue.
Do your research
Do your research before you go to the grocery store and don’t be fooled by ‘sale’ or ‘special’ signs. By doing your research, you will know where to get the best discounts so you can save as much money as possible.
You will also have a very good idea how much the items generally cost. If you have regular items you buy, you could also start your own ledger and see how the costs go up per month and then in your research you can find the shops that provide the best overall costs.
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