Mthatha residents are now paying more for basic groceries than consumers anywhere else in SA, with the cost of a standard household food basket rising by R175.76 in a single month.
This is according to the latest Household Affordability Index by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group (PMBEJD) which found that a basket of 44 essential food items cost R5,829.11 in Mthatha in May, making it the most expensive among the areas surveyed across the country.
The impact extends well beyond Mthatha’s municipal boundaries.
The city is the economic heart of the OR Tambo district, drawing shoppers, workers and service users from hundreds of surrounding rural villages, making the latest increase a blow to some of the province’s poorest communities.
The sharp increase comes as many households in the region continue to grapple with high unemployment and poverty.
Stats SA data places the official unemployment rate in the King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality at 38.3%, with youth unemployment significantly higher.
The PMBEJD survey tracks the prices of food items commonly purchased by low-income households at supermarkets and butcheries in cities and towns across SA.
While the Mthatha basket cost R5,829.11 in May, the same basket cost R5,723 in Johannesburg, and R5,222.75 in Cape Town.
According to the PMBEJD, the average cost of the household food basket nationally increased from R5,452.09 in April to R5,479.26 in May.
PMBEJD programme co-ordinator Mervyn Abrahams said Mthatha recorded the largest monthly increase of all the areas surveyed.
“In May, of the 44 foods tracked in the basket, 25 increased in price, while 19 decreased,” he said.
“When you look at the Mthatha basket, you will see it increased by R175.76 from April to May.
“This means the Mthatha basket has the biggest increase of all cities in SA.”
The overall trend showed rising vegetable and staple food prices, while some meat and fruit prices declined.
Among the biggest increases were tomatoes, up 11%, carrots up 16%, cabbage up 11%, onions up 7% and butternut up 9%.
Staples such as maize meal, cake flour, sugar, Cremora, canned beans and apricot jam all increased by about 2%, while salt and tea rose by 4%.
Abrahams said transport and logistics costs remained a major factor driving food inflation in Mthatha.
“The main influence on these price increases has to do with logistics and transport costs,” he said.
“None of the food is produced or manufactured in Mthatha. It has to be brought in from outside over long distances.
“A lot of the tomatoes, for example, are transported from Limpopo.
“With increases in diesel and petrol prices, everything becomes more expensive.”
Some products became cheaper during May. Apples dropped by 7%, oranges by 21%, potatoes by 3%, full-cream milk by 4% and beef by 2%.
Community activist and former King Sabata Dalindyebo councillor Pasika Nontshiza said residents had long complained about the high cost of food in Mthatha.
“Many people in our communities are unemployed and depend on social grants or irregular income,” he said.
“When food prices rise, it is the poorest households that suffer the most.”
For many residents, any savings on some products have been outweighed by the broader increase in food costs.
Resident Phikolomzi Adonis said families were increasingly being forced to prioritise affordability over nutrition.
“When you enter a shop, you used to have a basket full with just R500 in your pocket or two plastic bags full with groceries, but now you can only fill one for that amount,” he said.
“The downside is that when we buy food, now it is no longer about eating healthy and nutritious food, we are just eating what we can afford so we don’t die from hunger.”
Adonis, a TVET college employee, said his monthly grocery bill for a family of four had almost doubled.
“I used to spend around R1,800 a month on groceries. Now I spend about R3,500 for the same food,” he said.
Waterfall pensioner Rose Mzazela said the rising cost of food had hit elderly residents particularly hard.
“I used to spend around R700 on monthly groceries before Covid-19, but now the same food items cost me more than R1,000 every month,” she said.
“Everything is just too expensive nowadays.”
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