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South Africa's cost of living rose faster than expected in June, with prices up 5% in a year, driven by a rise in fuel costs.

Zanele Maseko trained as a teacher but could only ever get substitute posts. She now sells sweets on Johannesburg’s Small Street to support her family.

Sbonelo Mlaba pushes trolleys at Joburg City Deep Market. He says his daily earnings have dropped sharply since the 30 June protests emptied the market.

Nomyalelo Gxiniwe lost her packer job in 2023 and turned a Sunday side hustle into a full-time income. On a good month, she makes R700 selling doeks and scarves at a Mfuleni taxi rank to feed herself and two grandchildren.

A bigger part of your electricity bill is now a fixed fee you pay no matter how much power you use. That means using less electricity may not save you as much money as before.

If someone stole money from your bank account, you know how the bank's reply feels. It comes a week or two later. It says the transaction went through normally, that a recognised device was used, and that the bank is not liable. Case closed.

A cheaper supermarket is not always cheaper once taxi fare, petrol or delivery costs are added to the grocery bill.

R100 can buy maize meal, beans, carrots and cabbage at Shoprite, giving families the base for several simple and filling meals.

Palesa Motsoari lost her job, but her stokvel's grocery deliveries kept her family fed for almost four months while she searched for new work.

Most people have no idea how much they should be spending on food. Siza Khula can tell you, and it uses real South African prices to do it.

Luyanda Dlamini borrowed money to buy data so she could write an assignment, after the University of South Africa stopped giving distance learning students their monthly data allowance.

Adapted from an original article by Charles Savage, first published on Currency News. Since the two-pot retirement system launched in September 2024, most South Africans...