By Anita Dangazele
- The government increased the Child Support Grant from R560 to R580 in April 2026, the first increase in two years.
- New data shows low-income families pay R350,21 in VAT on their monthly groceries, more than the cost of a 30kg bag of maize meal.
The government increased the Child Support Grant by R20 in April. The same month, low-income families were paying R350,21 in VAT on their groceries. That is seventeen times what the budget gave them.
The figures come from the May 2026 Household Affordability Index, released by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD), which tracks food prices every month across seven cities including Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.
The average household food basket for a family of seven cost R5,479.26 in May 2026. Of the 44 foods tracked, 22 attract VAT. Those foods make up 49% of the total basket cost. The VAT on them came to R350,21.
The Child Support Grant currently sits at R580. That is already 32% below the food poverty line of R855 per person per month. It is 40% below the average cost of feeding a child a basic nutritious diet, which the PMBEJD calculates at R967,08 per month.
The grant does not adjust for age. A teenage boy needs more food than a three-year-old. The grant pays the same for both.
The VAT-liable portion of the basket has risen 6% in the past year. The basket overall grew just 0,2%. The tax is outrunning the food.
Families on low incomes already underspend on basic nutritional food by at least 17% every month. That shortfall sits at R1,154,96. The VAT they pay is nearly a third of that gap.
The R20 grant increase does not touch any of it.
Pictured above: A woman shopping at a supermarket.
Image source: Pexels
