South Africa’s poverty line is R868 a month, but what can it really buy?
Stats SA’s food poverty line is R868 per person a month, while its upper-bound line is R2,962. An illustrative look at food, rent, electricity and transport shows why poverty thresholds are not the same as a liveable household budget.
South Africa's official poverty line is set at R868 per person per month, but what this figure really represents in terms of daily life is complex. According to Statistics South Africa's new food poverty line, this amount is intended to meet the minimum daily energy requirement of 2,100 calories, but does not guarantee a healthy or nutritious diet.
The other two national poverty lines are set at R1,457 and R2,962 per person per month, with the lower bound reflecting households that must prioritize food over essential non-food items like shelter and healthcare. The upper bound line indicates the point at which people can meet basic needs without sacrificing food. To determine the food poverty line, the National Department of Statistics uses the consumption patterns of poorer households, excluding the poorest 10% for accuracy.
This results in a basket of 46 common foods, which provides only 1,211 calories per person a day, falling short of the 2,100-calorie benchmark. To calculate the poverty line, this expenditure is scaled up to 2,100 calories. However, even this line may not reflect adequate nutrition, as evidenced by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group's Household Affordability Index, which estimates the cost of a basic nutritious diet for a child at R961.96 per month.
This is already almost R100 more than the R868 food poverty line. The challenge lies not in the affordability of cheap food, but in balancing it with other essential expenses such as housing, transportation, healthcare, and education. For example, a small flat in Yeoville can cost around R1,114 per month, electricity costs approximately R1,000 per month, and two daily taxi journeys in Pietermaritzburg can cost a worker about R1,680.
Adding Statistics South Africa's R868 food poverty allowance brings the total to around R4,662, which is R1,700 more than the upper-bound poverty line and still does not account for toiletries, healthcare, clothing, or emergencies. Poverty, therefore, is not simply about a single number, but about the difficult choices people must make between competing necessities.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
