SOCIAL (IN)SECURITY: A Cape Town mother buys bread on credit to stretch her children’s grants, then spends payday settling the debt
South Africa’s R580 Child Support Grant falls far short of the R868 food poverty line, leaving parents and caregivers with little or no work trapped in debt and hunger as rising electricity and food costs erode household stability.
In Cape Town, a mother named Christal Adonis is struggling to make ends meet while raising three children. With the R580 Child Support Grant falling far short of the R868 food poverty line, Adonis often purchases bread on credit at her local tuckshop, only to pay off the debt once her next grant arrives. This cycle of debt leaves her and her family trapped in a cycle of hunger and instability. Adonis emphasizes that the grant is insufficient, as the cost of living, particularly electricity and food, continues to rise.
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