South Africa’s Food Basket Eases Slightly in September, But Families Still Go Hungry

A small relief, but not enough

The latest Household Affordability Index has brought mixed news for South Africans. In September 2025, the average household food basket cost R5 379,42just R1,20 less than August. While that’s a technical decrease, families on the ground feel little to no relief. Year on year, the same basket is up R123,74 (2,4%), showing that food remains painfully out of reach for millions.

The index tracks 44 essential foods across urban centres, and while prices shifted both ways, 21 items rose and 23 fellthe broader picture is clear: even small dips are overshadowed by the widening gap between wages, grants, and the real cost of living.

What’s going up, what’s going down

Staple vegetables and fruits were among the hardest hit:

• Butternut jumped 13%

• Green peppers climbed 9%

• Bananas rose 8%

• Beef liver went up 7%

On the flip side, a few items offered relief:

• Potatoes dropped 15%

• Tomatoes fell 11%

• Onions slid 7%

• Spinach dipped 9%

For families, though, the fluctuations mean little when the total basket remains unaffordable.

A tale of cities

The September report also highlighted regional differences:

• Johannesburg: R5 554,41 (+0,1% month-on-month, +1,3% year-on-year)

• Cape Town: R5 364,04 (+1% month-on-month, +6,4% year-on-year)

• Durban: R5 229,11 (-0,5% month-on-month)

• Mtubatuba: R5 323,02 (declines month-on-month and year-on-year)

Cape Town’s sharp yearly increase stands out, underscoring how inflation is hitting households unevenly across the country.

Wages vs. survival

South Africa’s National Minimum Wage leaves little room for survival. A full working month earns R4 836,72already less than the cost of the average household basket.

When electricity and transport take nearly 60% of income, only R1 974,87 remains for food and essentials. That translates to R493,72 per person per month, well below the food poverty line of R796.

The numbers are stark: workers’ families are underspending on food by at least 46,5%, not because they want to, but because they simply can’t afford more.

The child grant shortfall

The crisis deepens when looking at children’s nutrition. In September, it cost R940,62 to feed a child a basic nutritious diet. Yet the Child Support Grant remains at R560 a full 40% below what’s actually needed.

That gap is not just financial; it translates to malnutrition, stunted growth, and long-term health impacts. For many households, the grant covers barely half a child’s monthly food needs.

Beyond the numbers: South Africans react

On social media, frustration is boiling over. Many South Africans point out that while official statistics show “declines,” their actual shopping trolleys tell a different story. A Johannesburg mother recently wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Every time I go shopping, I come home with fewer bags for more money. This ‘decrease’ doesn’t feed my kids.”

Community groups and food relief organisations echo the sentiment. The small drops in prices for certain vegetables are welcomed, but they say it’s nowhere near enough to offset structural poverty, high transport costs, and stagnant wages.

While September’s index offers a glimmer of hope in falling potato and onion prices, the broader crisis remains. South Africa’s food affordability gap is widening, with wages and social grants failing to keep up with rising costs.

This isn’t just an economic statisticit’s a daily struggle shaping the health, dignity, and future of millions of families. Until wages rise meaningfully or grants are adjusted to match actual food costs, small declines in basket prices will remain little more than technical footnotes.

The September food basket may be marginally cheaper on paper, but in South African kitchens, the pots remain just as empty.

{Source: IOL}

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