South Africans are struggling to make ends meet but some businesses are making staple foods easily accessible (Studio omg/Getty Images)
- Almost half of South African adults struggle to afford food and electricity, with 51% of households experiencing food insecurity.
- Initiatives like FNB’s 99c bread, Gcwalisa’s weigh-and-pay system, and Shoprite’s R20 noodles aim to make essential foods more accessible and affordable.
- These efforts provide staples such as bread, mielie meal, rice, and noodles to disadvantaged communities.
- For more lifestyle news, go to the News24 Life front page.
Economic conditions are unfavourable for many, and despite recent talks of slight improvements, almost half of the South African adult population needs help to afford food and electricity.
According to the Human Science Research Council, 51% of South African households experience food insecurity.
Due to this inability to afford basics, many South African households end up surviving on nutrient-poor foods, including cereals, condiments, sugars, oils, and fats.
A number of organisations have launched initiatives for their clientele to address these issues and make essential foods more accessible to disadvantaged households. These efforts aim to ensure that daily food staples are accessible at affordable prices.
99c bread
For its entry-level Easy PAYU customers, FNB has launched an initiative where customers can buy a loaf of brown bread for just 99c every week. This can be done using vouchers received at the till point when making purchases with their cards at Pick n Pay retail stores across South Africa. Through this initiative, customers can buy up to four loaves of bread each month.
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“From 1 September, FNB Easy PAYU and Easy Bundle customers can purchase up to four loaves a month at 99c per loaf by swiping their cards for any amount when purchasing goods at Pick n Pay stores,” read a statement.
R5 mielie meal and rice
To ensure that poor communities have access to nutritious food, Gcwalisa, a tuck shop in areas like Alexandra, uses a weigh-and-pay system to provide affordable staple foods to those who can’t afford groceries. Founded by entrepreneur Miles Kubheka in 2022, the organisation offers various food and household supplies, including rice, mielie meal, eggs, flour, lentils, beans, dishwashing liquid, coffee, tea bags, sugar, and more.
Customers bring their containers or buy a reusable glass jar from the store, which is then refilled with the food item being purchased. The amount paid depends on the weight of the food, with customers paying as little as R5 for 250g of Mabele, rice, flour, or maize meal.
R20 noodles for a family of four
In February, Shoprite announced its partnership with a local small supplier to bring affordable flavoured noodles to the less fortunate, enough to feed a family of four for only R20.
The pasta, under Shoprite’s exclusive Homegrown brand, offers a 350g bag of Pasta & Me, containing a large portion of noodles, soya chunks, spices, and dehydrated veggies.
Retailing at Checkers for R19.99, it fills each member of the family for as little as R5.
Founder of Pasta and Me, Aziza Parker, said the aim of the product was to help feed families in need at an affordable price.
“I wanted to create a product that could help feed families for very little money,” she said. “The collaboration with Shoprite is really helping those who are struggling to put food on the table, plus it has opened the door for my business.”
