By Buziwe Nocuze
- Nontlahla Matshini, 37, from Lower Crossroads in Cape Town survives by washing clothes and cleaning flats, charging R150 for a flat, R100 per basket and R80 per blanket.
- When money runs out before month end, Matshini drops her blanket price to R50 and keeps looking for the next job. The Cape Town food basket cost R5,502 in June 2026.
Nontlahla Matshini knows exactly what her labour is worth. A small flat costs R150 to clean. A basket of clothes costs R100 to wash. A blanket costs R80. When the money runs out before the month ends, she drops the blanket price to R50 and keeps going.
She is 37 years old, a single mother of two in Lower Crossroads, Cape Town, and this is how she keeps a family fed.
“To survive, I combine this money with my two kids’ child support grant and my R370,” she said.
The R370 is her Social Relief of Distress grant. Combined with the two child support grants, that money has to cover R800 rent, R200 electricity, R300 preschool fees for her four-year-old daughter, R150 toiletries, and R500 in groceries. There is nothing left for emergencies.
She sent her daughter to preschool deliberately.
“I decided to send my daughter to preschool so that I can move around looking for piece jobs. When the money runs out, I lower my washing price to R50 for a blanket. Because I am a single mother taking care of my kids, I need to make sure that they have food,” Matshini said.
The average Cape Town household food basket cost R5,502.42 in June 2026, according to the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group. For a household running on piece-job income and grants, that figure is not a budget — it is a target that is almost never reached.
Matshini recently found out she may qualify for a government housing subsidy. She has not registered yet but plans to.
Lower Crossroads residents can register on the Housing Needs Register online at web1.capetown.gov.za. In-person help is available at the Philippi Housing Office, the Klipfontein Subcouncil Office, or the Provincial Human Settlements Helpdesk at 27 Wale Street, Cape Town.Matshini recently found out she may qualify for a fully subsidised government house under the Breaking New Ground programme, commonly known as an RDP house. To qualify, a person must be a South African citizen, earn less than R3,500 a month, be a first-time government subsidy recipient, and have financial dependants. Matshini meets all of those criteria. She has not yet registered but plans to.
To apply for an RDP house (now called a BNG house) in Lower Crossroads, residents must register on the City of Cape Town’s Housing Needs Register. Applicants can apply online via the City of Cape Town Housing Database Portal or by visiting their local municipal housing office
Pictured above: Nontlahla Matshini at home in Lower Crossroads, Cape Town.
Image source: Supplied
