By Anita Dangazele
- Nyameka Selani from Bethelsdorp buys only one body lotion for the whole family because shop prices are too high today.
- The Bethelsdorp daughters wash hair with dishwashing liquid to save money for food, electricity and school fees every single month.
Nyameka Selani from Bethelsdorp in Gqeberha no longer buys separate body lotions for her three children. She puts one bottle of deodorant in the shopping trolley and the whole family shares it.
The 38-year-old mother says things like body spray and shampoo cost too much. Her daughters now use dishwashing liquid to wash their hair.
“Before, each child had their own things,” Selani said. “You adjust. It is not something I am proud to say, but it is the truth of what many families are doing.”
A Competition Commission report from 1 April 2026 shows that the prices of basic goods keep going up.
The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group found that basic hygiene products cost an average of R1,045.64 a month in early 2025. This is a 4% increase from the year before.
For families like Selani’s, toiletries compete with food, transport and electricity. Electricity prices went up by about 85% between 2020 and January 2026. Public primary school fees went up by 37% in the same time.
Selani noticed her grocery bill going up two years ago, even though she was buying less.
“Food comes first. You cannot tell your child there is no food. But you can tell them they are sharing the body lotion with their sister,” she said.
Statistics South Africa says 37.9% of people in the country live below the poverty line.
Many families in Gqeberha are joining stokvels to save money or buying cheaper store brands to survive the month.
Selani hopes speaking out will help other mothers feel less alone while trying to provide for their children.
Pictured above: Toiletry shopping at a cosmetics store.
Image source: Supplied
