- Lungisani Pama, 35, from Flagstaff, supports his mother, siblings and nephews and has cut spending as food prices increase.
- He walks to work, buys cheaper groceries and skips meat some days to keep feeding his family.
Every month, 35-year-old security guard Lungisani Pama makes sure his family never goes to bed hungry – even if it means going without himself.
Pama, from Flagstaff in the Eastern Cape, takes care of five people: his mother, two siblings and two nephews.
“I am the breadwinner, so I had to make changes,” he said. “I stopped buying expensive body lotions like Nivea and Mitchum roll-on and switched to cheaper brands so I can continue buying food for my family.”
He rents a small place close to his work and walks every day to save on transport. “The money I save on transport helps with other things,” he said.
Each month, he pays R800 for rent, R1,500 for his own groceries, R1,000 for groceries at home, R1,500 for the children, R200 for electricity and R400 for funeral cover.
Before prices went up, he spent R2,500 on his own groceries and R1,500 for his family home. Now it’s the other way around.
“I buy more groceries for myself because I have to pack lunch for work every day,” said Pama.
He used to buy pork and chicken, but now he only buys chicken – and makes it last.
“Even the chicken, I don’t eat it every day. Some days I eat rice with spinach and soup so the R400 worth of chicken lasts a month,” he said.
His family also stretches every meal. “They don’t eat eggs with bread anymore. They cook pap or rice with eggs so that the chicken lasts longer.”
Pictured above: Flagstaff.
Image source: Eastern Cape Tourism
