South Africans hit hard by the rising cost of living

By day, life is becoming hard for South Africans. The rising fuel costs are deepening this crisis. New data from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group (PMBEJD) paints a stark picture of the growing pressure on households, with rising food and fuel costs deepening an affordability crisis that is hitting women and children particularly hard. The organisation’s April 2026 Household Affordability Index found that the cost of its household food basket rose by 2.3% month-on-month to R5 452.09, an increase the PMBEJD said may be linked to rising fuel prices, filtering through the food system. As a country heavily reliant on imported fuel and road transport, increases in diesel and petrol costs affect everything from farming and food processing to distribution and retail. But the report argued that the crisis extends far beyond food inflation. The real concern is that many households simply do not have enough income left after paying for essential expenses such as transport and electricity to afford a nutritious diet. For workers earning the national minimum wage, the picture is particularly severe. A worker earning the maximum monthly minimum wage of R4594.96 would be left with only R1893.11 after paying average transport costs of R1 520 and electricity costs of R1 181.85. By comparison, a basic nutritious food basket for a family of four costs R3 787.34. Children are among the most vulnerable. The PMBEJD estimates that the average monthly cost of feeding a child a basic nutritious diet reached R964.94 in April, while the child support grant stood at R580. The grant is therefore around 40% below the cost of a nutritious diet and 32% below the food poverty line. The report also highlights the disproportionate burden carried by women, who are often responsible for managing household food budgets and making difficult choices when money runs short. According to the PMBEJD, women frequently absorb economic shocks by reducing the quality of food purchased, taking