SOARING food prices, coupled with the recent fuel and electricity tariff hikes, will exacerbate the struggle of South Africans to put quality and nutritious food on their tables.
Last week, the fuel prices increased, while Eskom’s 12.74% electricity price hike for the 2024/25 financial year came into effect on April 1.
The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity (PMBEJD) group’s household affordability index for March 2024, revealed that an average household food basket costs R5 277.93. This was an increase by R311.72 (6.3%) from R4 966.20 in March 2023.
The food basket is made up of basic foods varying from carbohydrates to proteins, which are vitamin-enriched and add nutritional value to one’s diet.
The cost of the Durban household food basket increased by R372.71 (7.7%) from R4 871.40 in March 2023 to R5 244.11.
