South African households are still confronted with the cost of staples such as maize and rice rising to unsustainable levels, a new food price survey has warned.
The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group's (PMEJD) weekly Household Affordability Index, tracked food price data from 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries.
The survey focussed on four key cities – Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and Pietermaritzburg.
However, it also included Mtubatuba in Northern KwaZulu-Natal and Springbok in the Northern Cape.
The PMBEJD found that, in August, the average cost of a household food basket was R5 124.34.
It heralds a year-on-year increase of R348.75 or 7.3%, up from R4 775.59 in August 2022.
