By Dylan Bettencourt
- South African shoppers paid much more for a 10kg bag of onions in April after the price jumped since March.
- Women who track prices buy fewer fresh vegetables or less meat so they can still afford to buy expensive onions.
South African shoppers are paying much more to cook basic meals because the price of onions is rising fast.
A 10kg bag of onions now costs R121.38 on average. This is a big jump from March, when the same bag cost R98.96. The price went up by R22.43 in just one month.
The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group shared these numbers in its Household Affordability Index in April. The group checks food prices in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Springbok and Mtubatuba.
The numbers show that prices are much higher than they were a year ago. In April last year, a 10kg bag cost R101.30. That is a 20% increase over 12 months.
Shoppers in some cities are struggling even more. In Durban, a 10kg bag of onions now costs R140.63. This is 32% more than a year ago.
People in Springbok are paying R149 for the same bag. Prices in Pietermaritzburg climbed to R110.70, while Johannesburg shoppers are paying R111.18.
Onions are a very important part of South African cooking. Low-income households use them every day to make stews, soups, curries and braais.
When the price of onions goes up, shoppers do not stop buying them. Instead, women who track prices for the index say they buy less meat or fewer fresh vegetables to make up the difference.
The total cost of a basic food basket also went up in April. The average basket cost R123.56 more than it did in March. This was the biggest single-month jump in recent months, and expensive onions played a major part in driving the price up.
Pictured above: Onions.
Image source: Pexels
