How much of your salary is going to food, fuel and electricity?
While annual food inflation remained relatively modest at 1,1%, the organisation said affordability remains a major concern.
South Africans are spending an increasingly larger share of their salaries on basic necessities, with rising food, transport and electricity costs leaving many households with little money left over by the end of the month.
New figures from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group (PMBEJD) and consumer debt specialists DebtSolutions4U show that while wages have risen modestly in recent years, the cost of essentials has increased at a much faster pace, placing growing pressure on household budgets.
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According to the PMBEJD’s June 2026 Household Affordability Index, a worker earning the National Minimum Wage of R5,078.64 a month spends about 63% of their income on transport and electricity alone.
The organisation calculated that transport costs account for R2,016 a month, while electricity consumes a further R1,181.85, leaving workers with just R1,880.79 before buying food or covering any other household expenses.
Food costs continue to bite
The PMBEJD found that the average household food basket cost R5,502.42 in June, up R23,15 from May.
While annual food inflation remained relatively modest at 1,1%, the organisation said affordability remains a major concern because household incomes have failed to keep pace with the cost of living.
Its data shows that a basic nutritious food basket for a family of four costs R3,836.78 a month.
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However, after paying for transport and electricity, a minimum wage worker is left with only R1 880,79.
This creates a food shortfall of R1,955.99, or 51%.
“If all the remaining money went to buy food, it would provide only R470.20 per person per month, which is 45% below South Africa’s Food Poverty Line of R855,” the PMBEJD said.
The affordability index found that some food basket prices declined in June compared with May, but many staple items still became more expensive.
Among the biggest monthly increases were onions (17%), carrots (15%), tomatoes (9%), green peppers (8%), chicken feet (6%) and chicken livers (5%).
Transport costs keep climbing
The PMBEJD said higher taxi fares have become one of the biggest pressures facing workers.
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Taxi fares in Pietermaritzburg increased by 20% between March and June, from R20 to R24 per trip.
For many commuters who use four taxi trips a day to get to and from work, monthly transport costs now consume almost 40% of a minimum wage salary.
“Workers have to pay for transport to get to work, to get paid; this leaves less money to buy proper, nutritious food for workers and their families,” the organisation said.
The cost-of-living squeeze
DebtSolutions4U said South Africa’s cost-of-living crisis has steadily intensified over the past four years.
Its 2026 analysis found that while average salaries have increased by about 22% since 2022, many essential household expenses have risen far faster.
According to the study:
- Monthly grocery costs for a family of four have increased by 38%, from R4,500 to R6,200.
- Electricity bills have jumped by 67%, from R1,200 to R2,000.
- Petrol prices, at the time, had climbed by about 15%, from R21,50 to R24,80 per litre.
- Medical aid costs have risen by 36%.
- School fees have increased by 41%.
- Home loan repayments have increased by about 23%.
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“The result: millions of families are slowly sinking, not because they are reckless with money, but because the maths no longer works,” DebtSolutions4U said.
The organisation estimates that many households now need an additional R3,000 to R5,000 every month simply to maintain the same standard of living they had four years ago.
Electricity remains a major expense
DebtSolutions4U identified electricity as one of the biggest drivers of household financial pressure.
It said repeated annual tariff increases have pushed the average monthly electricity bill from about R1,200 in 2022 to around R2,000 in 2026.
In addition, many households have had to spend tens of thousands of rand on inverters, batteries or generators to cope with load shedding over recent years.
