![South Africans now need at least R624 to meet the minimum living conditions.](https://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/11230/d08ed208513b4c9388b3979a5e6ec11e.jpg)
South Africans now need at least R624 to meet the minimum living conditions.
South Africans now need at least R624 to meet the minimum living conditions.
This was shown in an inflation-adjusted national poverty lines (NPLs) report for 2021, released recently by Statistics South Africa. The food poverty line increased by R39 from R585 in 2020.
According to Statistics South Africa, changes in the cost of living require that they make regular adjustments to the NPLs to maintain their integrity and relevance over time.
A report by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity said that food inflation is very high. The Household Food Basket (9,4%) is consistent in showing an upward trend in higher food price inflation.
On the average household food basket for all areas, marginal increases are shown on rice, samp, potatoes, chicken and beef offal, fish, butternut, spinach, pilchards, apples, oranges and polony.
The Pietermaritzburg basket only declined by R14,70 — off its August spike of 3,2% (R128,33) — while the Durban food basket declined by R17,55 this month.
The national poverty lines were constructed using the cost-of-basic-needs approach which links welfare to consumption of goods and services.
The lines contain both food and non-food components of household consumption expenditure.