February 2022 Household Affordability Index and Key Data

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Key data from the February 2022 Household Affordability Index

The February 2022 Household Affordability Index, which tracks food price data from 44 supermarkets and 30 butcheries, in Johannesburg (Soweto, Alexandra, Tembisa and Hillbrow), Durban (KwaMashu, Umlazi, Isipingo, Durban CBD and Mtubatuba), Cape Town (Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Philippi, Langa, Delft and Dunoon), Pietermaritzburg and Springbok (in the Northern Cape), shows that:

In February 2022: The average cost of the Household Food Basket is R4355,70.
Month-on-month: The average cost of the Household Food Basket decreased by R45,33 (-1%), from R4401,02 in January 2022 to R4355,70 in February 2022.
Year-on-year: The average cost of the Household Food Basket increased by R354,52 (8.9%), from R4001,17 in February 2021 to R4355,70 in February 2022.

Food prices dropped marginally in all areas tracked. Most foods in the basket came down in February 2022 – and across most staples, meats, and vegetables, with the exception of oils and fats: cooking oil, margarine and cremora.

Statistics South Africa’s latest Consumer Price Index for January 2022 shows that Headline inflation was 5,7%, and for the lowest expenditure quintiles 1-3, it is 6,7%, 6,1% and 5,6% respectively. CPI Food inflation was 6,2%.

Workers

The National Minimum Wage for a General Worker in February 2022 is R3470,40. Transport to work and back will

cost a worker an average of R1 280 (36,9% of NMW), and electricity an average of R731,50 (21,1% of NMW). Together transport and electricity, both non-negotiable expenses, take up 58% (R2011,50) of the NMW, leaving R1458,90 to secure all other household expenses. Workers families will underspend on food by a minimum of 51,8%, this month, based on PMBEJDs basic nutritional food basket which stands at R3029,23 for a family of four persons.

Productivity in the workplace and learning quality in classrooms, and whether we have to visit a health centre or not, are all dependent on the food we eat.

Women and children

In February 2022, the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet was R771,95. Year-on-year, the cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet has increased by R61,20 or 8,6%.

In February 2022, the Child Support Grant of R460 is 26% below the Food Poverty Line of R624, and 40% below the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet of R771,95.

In its annual adjustments, Government chose to increase the Child Support Grant by R20 from April 2022. This is an increase of 4,3%.

The R20 increase will move the Child Support Grant of R480 from 26% below the Food Poverty Line of R624, to 23% below the Food Poverty Line.

Download the Key Data from February 2022

For media enquiries, contact: Mervyn Abrahams on 079 398 9384 and mervyn@pmbejd.org.za.