Blow for poor households

SHOPPING BASKET: PRICES DROP, BUT NOT FOR CORE STAPLE FOODS

- Ina Opperman

Although the household food basket cost marginally less in February, the prices of the core staple foods in the basket remained high, making it difficult for low-income consumers to afford to feed their families.

According to key data from the Household Affordability Index's household food basket for February, the household food basket cost R5 313.22, R120.48 less than in January, but R35.92 more than in February last year, when it cost R5 277.30.

The prices of 44 food items are collected by women from low-income communities at 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries where they shop in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Mtubatuba in Northern KwaZulu-Natal and Springbok in the Northern Cape.