April 2025 Household Affordability Index and Key Data

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Key data from the April 2025 Household Affordability Index

The April 2025 Household Affordability Index, which tracks the prices of 44 basic foods from 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries, in Johannesburg (Soweto, Alexandra, Tembisa and Hillbrow), Durban (KwaMashu, Umlazi, Isipingo, Durban CBD, Hammarsdale and Pinetown), Cape Town (Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Philippi, Langa, Delft and Dunoon), Pietermaritzburg, Mtubatuba (in Northern KwaZulu-Natal), and Springbok (in the Northern Cape), shows that:

• In April 2025: The average cost of the Household Food Basket is R5 420,30.
• Month-on-month: The average cost of the Household Food Basket increased by R90,94 (1.7%), from R5 329,36 in March 2025 to R5 420,30 in April 2025.
• Year-on-year:  The average cost of the Household Food Basket increased by R83,99 (1,6%), from R5 336,31 in April 2024 to R5 420,30 in April 2025.

Food pricing trends in April 2025.

In April, of the 44 foods tracked in the basket:  24 foods increased in price, and 20 foods decreased in price.  See page 2 of April 2025, Household Affordability Index.

Below are the price movements of individual foods in the average household food basket:

Foods in the basket which increased in price in April 2025 by 5% or more, include:  potatoes (6%), onions (11%), beef (7%), fish (7%), tomatoes (26%), carrots (20%), spinach (7%), cabbage (6%), green pepper (7%), bananas (7%), and oranges (18%).

Foods in the basket which increased in price in April 2025 by 2% or more, include:  maize meal (2%), full cream milk (2%), beef tripe (2%), cremora (3%), apricot jam (4%), and brown bread (2%).

Foods in the basket which decreased in price in April 2025, by 5% or more, include: butternut (-7%), and apples (-6%).

Foods in the basket which decreased in price in April 2025, by 2% or more, include:  rice (-4%), cake flour (-2%), sugar beans (-3%), salt (-2%), frozen chicken portions (-3%), stock cubes (-2%), soup (-3%), tea (-3%), margarine (-2%), and peanut butter (-2%).

(See page 2 of April 2024, Household Affordability Index).

Inflation on the food baskets per area tracked.

In April 2025, food baskets in Joburg, Durban, Cape Town, Springbok and Pietermaritzburg increased in price.  The Mtubatuba food basket decreased in price.

The Joburg basket increased by R77,58 (1,4%) month-on-month, and decreased by R52,72 (-0,9%) year-on-year, to R5 559,46 in April 2025. 

The Durban basket increased by R157,64 (3,0%) month-on-month, and increased by R168,23 (3,2%) year-on-year, to R5 425,23 in April 2025. 

The Cape Town basket increased by R11,25 (0,2%) month-on-month, and increased by R129,80 (2,5%) year-on-year, to R5 316,56 in April 2025. 

The Springbok basket increased by R242,93 (4,3%) month-on-month, and increased by R186,68 (3,3%) year-on-year, to R5 908,84 in April 2025.

The Maritzburg basket increased by R138,46 (2,8%) month-on-month, and decreased by R15,84 (-0,3%) year-on-year, to R5 044,47 in April 2025. 

The Mtubatuba basket decreased by R84,94 (-1,6%) month-on-month, and increased by R28,41 (0,5%) year-on-year, to R5 312,54 in April 2025. 

(See pages 10-15 for area specific data, in the April 2025, Household Affordability Index).

Statistics South Africa’s latest Consumer Price Index.

Statistics South Africa’s latest Consumer Price Index for March 2025i shows that Headline inflation was 2,7%, and for the lowest expenditure quintiles 1-3 it is 4,2%, 3,7%, and 3,3% respectively.  CPI Food inflation was 2,2% (for CPI Food & NAB it was 2,7%, we use the figure excluding non-alcoholic beverages).  STATS SA’s Producer Price Index for March 2025ii shows Agriculture was 2,4%, of which, Products of crops and horticulture was 9,2%, and Live animals and animal products was -7.1%

Workers

The National Minimum Wage is R28,79 per hour, R230,32 for an 8-hour day, and R4 836,72 for an average 21-day working month.

In April 2025, with 19 working-days, the maximum National Minimum Wage for a General Worker is R4 376,08.  Workers work to support their families.  The wage workers earn is not just to sustain themselves alone, it is used to support the entire family. For Black South African workers, one wage typically must support 4 people.  Dispersed in a worker’s family of 4 persons, the NMW, is R1 094,02 per person – this is below the upper-bound poverty line of R1 634 per person per month.

The April 2025 average cost of a basic nutritional food basket for a family of four persons is R3 817,78 (See page 6 of April 2025, Household Affordability Index).

On our calculations, using Pietermaritzburg-based figures for electricity and transport, and the average figure for a minimum nutritional basket of food for a family of four, puts electricity, and transport, taking up 58,6% of a worker’s wage (R2 562,97/R4 376,08).  Food is bought after monies for transport and electricity have been paid for or set aside (leaving R1 813,11 – for food and everything else), and so in April 2025, PMBEJD calculates that workers’ families will underspend on food by a minimum of 52,5% (having R1 813,11 left over after transport and electricity have been paid, and with food for the month costing R3 817,78). In this scenario there is no possibility of a worker being able to afford enough nutritious food for her family.  If the entire R1 813,11 all went to buy food, then for a family of 4 persons, it would provide R453,28 per person per month.  This is below the food poverty line of R796 (See page 8 of April 2025, Household Affordability Index).

Women and children

In April 2025, the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet was R973,25.  Over the past month, the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet increased by R22,25 (2,3%).  Year-on-year, the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet increased by R13,87 (1,4%). See page 6 of April 2025, Household Affordability Index.

In April 2025, the Child Support Grant of R560 is 30% below the Food Poverty Line of R796, and 42% below the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet (R973,25).

In April 2025 the Child Support Grant was increased by R30, from R530 per child per month, to R560 per child per month.  Noting the data above, the additional R30 has not made a dent in the substantial deficit faced by caregivers in trying to ensure that their children are properly fed.  The Child Support Grant value is still far below the Food Poverty Line, and PMBEJD’s data on the average cost of a nutritional food basket for young children of different ages. 

Household domestic and personal hygiene products

The April 2025 Household Domestic & Personal Hygiene Index increased by R11,25 (1,1%) month-on-month.  Year-on-year the household domestic and personal hygiene products index increased by R26,18 (2,6%) bringing the total average cost of basic household domestic and personal hygiene products to R1 033,09 in April 2025 (See page 5 of April 2025, Household Affordability Index). 

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.

VAT on the household food basket

22/44 foods in the total household food basket are subject to VAT.  Foods subject to VAT make up 46% of the total cost of the household food basket in April 2025:  zero-rated food items cost R2 929,32 and foods subject to VAT cost R2 490,97 (the total household food basket being R5 420,30).  VAT on the total household food basket came to R324,91 in April 2025.  This means 6,0% of the household food basket is made up of VAT.  See page 4 of April 2025, Household Affordability Index.

The total Rand-value of VAT on basic food stuffs (R324,91) is high relative to the amount of money families have available to spend on food.  VAT on basic foods removes money from the purse that could be spent on more food; better diversity of food; and better-quality food; and to buy toiletries for children, and warm clothes with Winter on its way.