Location, Pietermartizburg, South Africa
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A call to support the introduction of a Basic Income Grant for workers to invest in a livelihood, create work, to kick-start a new economic trajectory.

The Basic Income Grant discussion is again before us.  We argue in this Discussion Paper that we would need to change our policy mindset around the Basic Income Grant.

Covid-19: Household affordability thresholds now threaten to be further breached – taxi fare hikes major risk.

Imminent taxi fare and electricity tariff hikes present a further threat to being able to put food on the table.

Covid-19: Families may be spending 30% more on food than they did two months ago

Foods in the trollies of families living on low incomes continue to increase.  Families are spending more on food and many have to borrow money to buy this food.  Hunger and nutritional deprivation is deepening.  Questions are raised regarding the adequacy of Government’s interventions to help South Africans during the pandemic.   Covid-19 Research Report…
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Covid-19: Food prices continue to spike; women are getting increasingly concerned.

Report based on latest data as at the 23rd April, which may be of some value in getting a sense of how South Africans, living on low incomes, are experiencing food prices and the lockdown during Covid-19 and what women are thinking about the weeks ahead.  Includes analysis of CSG top-up. Covid-19: Research Paper –…
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The Household Food Situation during Covid-19 and the Nationwide Lockdown

This short paper includes observations from the supermarket floor, the waiting lines, the street, the spaza shop, the taxi, the home, the kitchen, the plate and the stomach. Covid-19: Observations from the supermarket floor

Food prices & public health messages in a time of Covid-19.

Media statement covers food price spikes, DTI Disaster Management Regulations, omissions in DTI Regulations, observations from the supermarket floor, and important public health message. Food prices & public health messages in a time of Covid-19

Budget 2020: Minister, there seems to be an error in your maths on the Child Support Grant?

In the Budget Speech Minister Mboweni said that “The child support grant will increase by R20 to R445 per month.”  But … the child support grant is currently valued at R430 a month.  A R20 increase on R430 raises the child support grant to R450. Budget 2020: Child support grant

Resource for Media: Budget 2020

The resource below includes our latest household affordability data for February 2020 and STATSSA’s latest jobs data. We will be assessing Budget 2020 based on its impact on household affordability and the socio-economic situation households living on low-incomes experience. Budget 2020

Increasing the National Minimum Wage by 3,8% will reverberate negatively across all our developmental outcomes and act to plunge our economy into even deeper decline and possibly even higher job losses.

The Minister of Employment and Labour has gazetted a 3,8% increase for South Africa’s National Minimum Wage for 2020, to be instituted on 1 March 2020. The 3,8% is lower than the 5% recommended by the National Minimum Wage Commission. For a General Worker, currently on an R20 hourly rate, the 3,8% increases the hourly…
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Use pensioners’ old-age grant to drive an economic recovery

Every month government injects ±R6,2bn directly into the economy through the instrument of the old-age grant. ±3,5 million pensioners receive this money directly into their pockets and spend every cent of this money directly in the economy. At least once a month every economic hub in South Africa is boosted. Economic activity flourishes. Across South…
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