SA’s struggling women deprive themselves to feed their families

As food price hikes continue to deplete their purses, struggling South African women are buying only essential foods at the cheapest prices and cutting back on their nutritional needs to keep their families from going hungry.

The challenges these women are facing have been unpacked in the latest Household Affordability Index report, released on Thursday by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group.

According to the report, the cost of the average household food basket has risen by nearly 9% in the past eight months.

Between March and April, South Africans paid nearly 4% more for a household food basket, the cost of which rose by R159,37 to R4,198,93.

The group’s Mervyn Abrahams said the spike between March and April “is the highest we have ever seen”.

In the past eight months (between September 2020 and April 2021) the average cost of the household food basket increased by R342,59, from R3,856,34 to R4,198,93.

The Household Affordability Index tracks food price data from 44 supermarkets and 30 butcheries in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg and Springbok in the Northern Cape.

According to the report, core staple food price increases were across the board.

Researcher Julie Smith said women are battling to absorb the increases and are only buying critical food.

“Women tell us they respond to hikes in food prices by shopping around a lot more to seek out the cheapest prices before they commit to a purchase.”

The report shows that trolleys are less full, with some women shoppers saying “we will just get what we can afford now and see how we cope in the month”.

“Women told us that they are seeing a lot more shoppers, when they reach the checkout counter and the prices are being tallied, asking the teller to wait as they switch out larger volume products for small products, even on the basic staple foods. 

“There is also a lot more food being dropped out of the trolleys or left at the checkout counters, especially of ‘children’s foods’ like milk, cereal, polony and, in some cases, even margarine, peanut butter and jam. 

“The size of the trolleys being used has also changed. Mostly women now use the small trolleys with two baskets. Some supermarkets have removed the big trolleys altogether and repurposed them as security barriers,” the report stated.

Meat purchases have been reduced and cheaper cuts are more sought after.

“Women tell us that when buying 5kg frozen chicken portions, women pull out the see-through bags, hold the bags at arm’s length and carefully count the pieces and evaluate the size of the pieces so they can see how many of the pieces can be cut in half.

Women are buying less food. Vegetables and fruits are being bought in small quantities on the streets and less meat is being eaten. Children’s lunchboxes are being hollowed out.

—  Household Affordability Index report

“Cheaper cuts of meat are also sought after.  Beef bones are bought, but women complain that the bones that used to have a lot more meat on them are now nearly meatless. 

“Wors is still a prize meat as it can make a meaty-tasting stew and can go a lot further than stewing beef or chuck. But sometimes wors can be fatty and disgusting, so women must find a credible supplier.”

The report showed that families are consuming much less meat.

“In short, families prioritise the purchasing of critical staple foods. Women are buying cheaper starches, oil and sugar of lower nutritional quality.  

“Women are buying less food. Vegetables and fruits are being bought in small quantities on the streets and less meat is being eaten. Children’s lunch boxes are being hollowed out.”

According to the report, the response by women to lower nutritional purchases to at least secure the basic starches have serious negative nutritional implications and make families more susceptible to common illnesses.

“Women suffer the most out of this ever-worsening situation as preparing for shopping and the shopping itself takes forever and culinary miracles need to be performed to stretch food out and make it reasonably palatable. Women have to sacrifice their own nutritional needs even more stridently to extend the period of better off nutrition for their children and the stress of making sure there is food on the table doesn’t end ... ”

Those who participated in research for the report also noted an escalation in petty crimes in their areas.

Housebreakings, with food being stolen from fridges and cupboards, and the theft of household appliances and cellphones have become common.

The report stated that women are worried about how they will survive in the next few months.

“All women suggested that the next few months will be key to see if they will be able to get through this very difficult period or not.”