Electricity, transport eat into average worker's salary while food takes back seat

The average South African worker is spending more than 57% of their monthly earnings on transport and electricity while underspending on food.

The latest Household Affordability Index report compiled by Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity (PMBEJD) paints a grim picture of how low-income earners are unable to feed their families with nutritious food.

The index, which tracks the prices of 44 basic foods from 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Mtubatuba in northern KwaZulu-Natal and Springbok in the Northern Cape, shows in January the average cost of the household food basket stood at R5,433.70 — a 2% increase from R5,324.86 a year ago.

Potatoes, onions and chicken livers increased by 5% or more in January while maize meal, sugar beans, samp, cooking oil, tea, beef, carrots, fish and apples increased by 2% or more.

“The national minimum wage (NMW) is R27.58 an hour and R220.64 for an eight-hour day. In January 2025, with 22 working days, the maximum NMW for a general worker is R4,854.08,” says the report.

“Workers work to support their families. The wage workers earn is not just to sustain themselves, it is used to support the entire family.

“For black South African workers one wage typically must support four people. Dispersed in a worker’s family of four people, the NMW, is R1,213.52 per person — this is below the upper-bound poverty line of R1,634 per person per month.”

The report shows the average cost of a basic nutritional food basket for a family of four people is R3,830.05 for January.

Electricity and transport takes up 57.7% of a worker’s wage (R2,802,97/R4,854,08). Food is bought after transport and electricity costs have been paid for or money set aside, leaving R2,051,11 for food and everything else.

PMBEJD calculated workers’ families would have underspent on food by a minimum of 46.4% — having R2,051.11 left over after transport and electricity, with food costing R3,830.05.

“In this scenario there is no possibility of a worker being able to afford enough nutritious food for her family. If the entire R2,051.11 went to buy food, then for a family of four people it would provide R512.78 per person per month. This is below the food poverty line of R796,” the report states.

In January, the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet was R976.39.

Over the past month, the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet increased by R7.83 or 0.8%. Year-on-year, the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet increased by R22.64 or 2.4%.

The report also showed domestic and personal hygiene products increased by 4% year-on-year, bringing the total average cost of basic household domestic and personal hygiene products to R1,045.64 in January.

“The cost of basic hygiene products is high. These products are part of the monthly groceries and compete in the household purse with food. These products are essential for good health and hygiene and dignity.”

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