PMBEJD in the media

Media interactions

PMBEJD in the print media – influencing public discourse and building power for structural change

August 2021

• August 2021:  DMC News, Bad news for the poor, as household food basket survey shows another increase.
• 2 August 2021:  The Citizen, The fruit of the looting and unrest: even hungrier people.
• 1 August 2021:  Sunday Times, Distress grant: ‘People say it’s not a lot, but for us, that is everything.’
• 1 August 2021:  Business Tech, Where are you paying more for food: Joburg vs Cape Town vs Durban.
• 1 August 2021:  Financial Times, ANC faction stirs ‘dangerous politics’ in South Africa’s towns.

July 2021

• 29 July 2021:  News Nation USA, Food prices in South Africa – here’s what you’re paying more for.
• 29 July 2021:  Cape Argus, High food costs continue to hurt low-income group.
• 29 July 2021:  Business Tech, Food prices in South Africa edge higher – here’s what you’re paying more for.
• 29 July 2021:  The Witness, Hunger-bomb is still ticking, warns Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group.
• 28 July 2021:  City Press, Ramaphosa’s R350 grant not enough – economic justice group.
• 27 July 2021:  The Sowetan, Grant will beat back hunger.
• 24 July 2021:  The Economist, Where does South Africa go from here?
• 22 July 2021:  News 24, Think BIG – Basic Income Grant needs to be more than just food, say researcher.
• 20 July 2021:  The Citizen, Food shortage in KZN averted, but access is the problem.
• 18 July 2021:  My Broadband, Big food price increases in South Africa.
• 13 July 2021:  New Frame, Food riots show the need for Basic Income Grant.
• 13 July 2021:  Global Citizen, Poverty, Inequality and Looting: Everything you need to know about South Africa’s protests.
• 11 July 2021:  Bloomberg, Six killed as South African riots spread after jailing of Zuma. 
• 9 July 2021:  Careers Portal, Calls for the return of the SASSA R350 grant.
• 6 July 2021:  The Skills Portal, SA government intervention required to fight hunger.
• 2 July 2021:  Tech Talk, Average household food basket soar by R271.90 in June.
• 1 July 2021:  IOL, Average household food basket price soars by R271.90 in June.
• 1 July 2021:  Fresh Plaza, Food prices in South Africa much higher than last year.

June 2021

• 30 June 2021:  The South African, Now SA households struggle with soaring food prices.
• 3 June 2021:  Xinhua Net, Rising food prices blamed for deepening poverty in S. Africa. 

May 2021

• 18 May 2021:  The Sowetan, Sharing bread with the hungry the most basic act of humanity.
• 15 May 2021:  The Sowetan, City of Joburg withdraws controversial proposal for prepaid electricity surcharge.
• 13 May 2021:  Farmers Weekly, More food price increases not benefitting all farmers.
• 9 May 2021:  Weekend Argus, Consumers feel the pinch as food prices continue to soar.
• 5 May 2021:  The Witness, Hunger driving housebreakings and petty crime.
• 4 May 2021:  IOL Business Report, Rising food prices put manufacturers in tight spot.
• 3 May 2021:  The Citizen, Skyrocketing food prices leading to a struggle at the till.
• 3 May 2021:  Business Tech, Why you should expect further food price hikes in South Africa.

April 2021

• 29 April 2021:  The Sowetan, South Africans to fork out 10% more for food in 2021.
• 29 April 2021:  Sunday Times, SA’s struggling women deprive themselves to feed their families.
• 29 April 2021:  Business Tech, Food price hikes in South Africa in April – here’s what you’re paying more for.
• 19 April 2021:  The Mercury, Elderly hit hard by sharp rise in food prices.
• 15 April 2021:  The Witness, Organisations warn hungry citizens create a very fragile future for South Africa.
• 6 April 2021:  Sunday Times, ‘Our poor are hungrier than they have ever been’: SA’s food insecurity crisis.
• 6 April 2021:  The Citizen, Basic food basket for the poor remains lean.
• 6 April 2021:  Daily Maverick, For vulnerable households, the right to dignified existence warps into torture at the till point.
• 4 April 2021:  The Citizen, South Africans paying nearly 5% more for basic food items – index.
• 1 April 2021:  Daily News, Calls for the Reserve Bank to intervene on rising inflation on essential goods.

March 2021

• 31 March 2021:  Business Tech, Food prices in South Africa are up in recent months – here’s what you are paying more for.
• 19 March 2021:  Mail & Guardian, Inside the life of South Africans who cannot afford a nutritious meal for children.
• 17 March 2021:  Business Tech, Food prices in South Africa – these items have become more expensive over the last 6 months.
• 10 March 2021:  The South African, SASSA grants not in line with rising food, electricity prices.
• 10 March 2021:  The Citizens, No hope for poor children without nutritious food.
• 10 March 2021:  The Citizen, Bad news for poor in cost of basic food basket survey.
• 10 March 2021:  Daily News, Meat exporting organisation ruffles feathers.
• 8 March 2021:  Business Tech, Food, electricity and petrol prices are all going up – as South Africans keep getting poorer.
• 8 March 2021:  Daily News, SA tops global food security index on continent, but affordability still low.
• 7 March 2021:  Business Tech, Food prices in South Africa – these items have become more expensive over the last 6 months.
• 7 March 2021:  City Press, SA’s food security declines as prices continue to rise.
• 5 March 2021:  Food for Mzansi, Women and children remain ‘the faces of poverty in SA.’
• 3 March 2021:  Times Live, Food prices to rise by as much as 10%, warns economic rights advocacy group.
• 1 March 2021:  Daily News, South Africans brace for increases in food, fuel and electricity.

February 2021

• 25 February 2021:  Daily News, Pensioners angry over small grants increase.
• 25 February 2021:  The Mercury, Civil society groups slam Mboweni’s ‘anti-poor’ budget.
• 24 February 2021:  New Frame, ‘How am I free if I still go to bed hungry?’
• 13 February 2021:  The Witness, The politics of pricing.
• 11 February 2021:  The Mercury, Minimum pay called ‘a poverty wage.’
• 8 February 2021:  IOL, Consumer Watch:  Price increases on bare necessities hurting poor.
• 5 February 2021:  Cape Town Etc,  55.5% of South Africa’s population cannot afford essential groceries.
• 4 February 2021:  Business Tech, Food prices in South Africa in 2021: Joburg vs Cape Town vs Durban.
• 1 February 2021:  Daily News, Grim picture of growing household hunger, poverty.

January 2021

• 30 January 2021:  Foodformzansi, Food prices: ‘No rest for poor mothers.’
• 27 January 2021:  All4Women, Food price spike: Families battle to fork out almost R200 extra for staples.
• 27 January 2021:  Sunday Times Daily, SA women have a lot on their plate and little to eat as prices soar.   
• 7 January 2021:  The Witness, ‘Poor now worse off’, with many struggling to even put food on the table.
• 4 January 2021:  Sunday Times, SA Struggles to feed itself as prices soar and government is slow to react.

November 2020

• 30 November 2020:  All4Women, No relief for hungry households: Festive season food prices continue to rise.
• 26 November 2020:  Business Tech, Food prices are climbing again in South Africa – here’s how much an average food basket costs.
• 26 November 2020:  The Mercury, Consumers will pay more for groceries this festive season.
• 26 November 2020:  The Witness, Basic food basket costs R161 more.

October 2020

• 23 October 2020:  Diamond Fields Advertiser, Major concern as Northern Cape residents struggle to feed themselves.
• 21 October 2020:  The Citizen, ‘Stopping grant top-ups now is madness’ says NGO.
• 20 October 2020:  City Press, Food prices continue to soar, putting millions at risk.
• 18 October 2020:  Business Tech, Food prices in Joburg vs Cape Town vs Durban.
• 19 October 2020:  Daily Maverick, Activists protest against growing hunger in a land of plenty.
• 17 October 2020:  Saturday Star, Millions of South Africans are forced to rely on government assistance to avert starvation.
• 16 October 2020:  The Mercury, Poor left behind as food prices soar.
• 16 October 2020:  The Witness, Families hard hit as food basket becomes unaffordable.  
• 4 October 2020:  Sunday Times, Keep grants in place as food crisis deepens, government urged.
• 2 October 2020:  The Mercury, Major concern as people struggle to feed themselves.

September 2020

• 30 September 2020:  All4Women, Grocery bills have shot up – Here’s how much MORE we’re paying + why it’s putting our health at risk.
• 30 September 2020:  All4Women, Family meals & finances – How skyrocketing grocery prices are affecting our kids’ nutrition.
• 29 September 2020:  Business Tech, Here’s how many domestic workers lost their jobs during lockdown.
• 21 September 2020:  The Witness, Survey finds that 55% of South Africans need debt assistance.
• 21 September 2020:  Business Tech, New data shows how much money domestic workers earn in South Africa.
• 7 September 2020:  Grocotts Mail, The real increase in food prices is shocking.
• 7 September 2020:  Daily News, Covid-19 increasing income related poor health by six times new research finds.

August 2020

• 28 August 2020:  The Times, ‘You pick up 10kg flour and you weigh it in your hands and in your heart.’
• 27 August 2020:  Business Tech, Food prices are climbing again in South Africa – much sooner than anticipated.
• 27 August 2020:  All4Women, Grocery bills have skyrocketed – But we’re paying the price for buying cheaper too: here’s why.
• 27 August 2020:  The Mercury, Food, fuel, funeral prices soar.
• 26 August 2020:  The Times, Poor households hit hard by a worrying rise in basic food prices.
• 26 August 2020:  Daily News, It’s official. The price of food has gone up since lockdown began.
• 26 August 2020:  All4Women, Our grocery bills just went up – AGAIN.
• 24 August 2020:  New Frame, SA companies cash in on Covid-19.
• 14 August 2020:  The Daily News, Cost of living for the poor goes up. 
• 3 August 2020:  New Frame, Long Read | Fully loaded taxis are a Covid timebomb.
• 2 August 2020:  Sunday Times, Basic Income Grant.

July 2020

• 31 July 2020:  The Sowetan, Food prices wreak havoc with poor.
• 31 July 2020:  The Conversation, South Africa needs better food price controls to shield poor people from COVID-19 fallout.
• 30 July 2020:  The Times, SA’s poor hit hard as basic food prices escalate 11.6% in a year.
• 22 July 2020:  The Citizen, Basic income grant shouldn’t go towards food only, says researchers.
• 16 July 2020: Farmers Weekly, Gap between farm and retail prices ‘warrant investigation.’ 
• 15 July 2020:  Daily Maverick, Many mothers going hungry for the sake of their children, new data shows.
• 10 July 2020:  The Citizen, Hunger and lack of food access more acute under Covid-19.
• 7 July 2020:  The Mercury, Survey shows Covid-19 hiked food prices – but things are stabilising.
• 4 July 2020:  The Citizen, South Africans worried about food price increases during Covid-19 pandemic – survey.
• 2 July 2020:  The Daily News, Santaco taxi fare hikes a bitter pill for struggling commuters.

June 2020

• 27 June 2020:  Business Tech, Here’s how much the average price for a household food basket has increased in South Africa.
• 27 June 2020:  City Press, Transport and power hikes strike the poor.
• 25 June 2020:  The Witness, Mboweni comes up empty.
• 18 June 2020:  All4Women, Tighten your belts: We could be paying as much as 30% more for food thanks to lockdown.
• 16 June 2020:  The Citizen, Food prices up by as much as 30%, and things are only getting worse.
• 2 June 2020:  Daily Maverick, Why are South Africans hungry when there’s surplus food?

May 2020

• 31 May 2020:  City Press, Business booms for loan sharks.
• 28 May 2020:  Retail Brief Africa, Food prices increase for low-income families.
• 28 May 2020:  Times Select, Struggling SA women do deals with the devil to put food on the table.
• 28 May 2020:  The Witness, Food costs rocket in lockdown.
• 27 May 2020:  Business Tech, Food prices in South Africa have spiked – particularly these items.
• 27 May 2020:  The Mercury,  Battle to feed families as food prices soar, consumption rises during lockdown.
• 27 May 2020:  Daily News, 7.8% rise in food prices leaves sour taste.
• 27 May 2020:  IOL Business Report, Price of food for low income families increases.
• 27 May 2020:  Centurion Rekord, Covid-19: Low-income households turn to loan sharks to fight hunger.
• 26 May 2020:  GroundUp, Low-income families are spending more on food since March, says report.
• 23 May 2020:  Cape Argus, Covid-19 hits South Africa in the pockets.
• 23 May 2020:  Business Tech, Here’s how the average price for a household food basket has increased in South Africa.
• 22 May 2020:  Food for Mzansi, Hunger epidemic: The choice between safety and food.
• 14 May 2020: Daily Maverick, Hunger crisis: Getting food to the needy.
• 14 May 2020:  New Frame, Social grants and food aid provide scant relief.
• 10 May 2020:  Sunday Times, Government, NGOs at odds over distribution of food parcels.
• 10 May 2020:  Sunday Times, ‘They can’t survive if I die’:  Stalwart gogos fear for their families.
• 6 May 2020:  Daily Maverick, KwaZulu–Natal hit by exorbitant price increases for basic food items.
• 6 May 2020:  Times live, Fear and hunger: 7 million set to rush retailers for child grants.
• 5 May 2020:  The Witness, Pietermaritzburg Pensioners Forum, Sassa snarl-up misery

April 2020

• 29 April 2020:  The Mercury, Concern as food prices spiral out of reach for many families.
• 29 April 2020:  The Witness, Shock at increase in cost of food basket.
• 29 April 2020:  IOL Business Report, Women from low-income families forced to wait in long queues outside supermarkets.
• 29 April 2020:  Daily News, Women battle to support their families as food prices soar amid coronavirus pandemic.
• 28 April 2020:  City Press, Food prices skyrocket. Justice group slams economic policy.
• 28 April 2020:  Daily Dispatch, Anger stews as South African women go hungry to keep their families fed.
• 24 April 2020:  Daily News, Stats-SA undertakes survey to see how Covid-19 has affected South African.
• 23 April 2020:  City Press, Food security and lockdown: Is enough being done?
• 23 April 2020:  Mail & Guardian, Pietermaritzburg Pensioners Forum, Hunger is as big a threat as Covid.
• 22 April 2020:  New Frame, KwaZulu-Natal’s elderly go hungry.
• 19 April 2020:  Sunday Times, Covid-19 lockdown:  millions hungry as work dries up.
• 17 April 2020:  Isolezwe, ‘Indlala izobulala abantu ngaphambi kweCorona.’
• 16 April 2020:  The Mercury, Pensioners appeal for a better grant deal as lockdown worsens their plight.
• 15 April 2020:  The Mail & Guardian, South Africa’s invisible majority: Women feeding hungry families
• 15 April 2020:  The Mercury, Relief as Reserve Bank slashes the repo rate.
• 14 April 2020:  City Press, Lockdown regulations financially devastating for small vendors.
• 4 April 2020:  Saturday Star, Covid-19 hitting the poor the hardest.
• 2 April 2020:  The Mercury, Supermarkets hiked food by 10% ahead of lockdown regulations.
• 1 April 2020:  PLAAS, Food in the time of the coronavirus: Why we should be very, very afraid.
• 1 April 2020:  Children’s Institute, University of Cape Town, Letter from the Children’s Institute to the President calling for a R500 increase in the monthly Child Support Grant.
• 1 April 2020:  Children’s Institute, University of Cape Town, Covid-19 info brief: Social grant increases are an immediate and feasible route to protecting children and their families.

February 2020

• 26 February 2020: New Frame, Minimum wage to increase by just 76 cents.
• 26 February 2020:  The Witness, Increase pension grants:  grants boost real economy.
• 24 February 2020:  Daily News, R20 minimum wage increase is not enough.
• 20 February 2020:  The Mercury, 1% VAT hike would have ripple effect – economists.
• 18 February:  The Witness, Put the money in their hands.
• 18 February 2020: Business Tech, New salaries for domestic workers after the national minimum wage increase.
• 11 February 2020:  2 Oceans Vibe News, Let’s Talk About How Much You Should Pay Your Domestic Worker This Year.
• 10 February 2020:  Business Tech, How much you should be paying your domestic worker in 2020.
• 5 February 2020:  IOL, Middle income earners feeling the pinch of inflation.

January 2020

• 31 January 2020:  Isolezwe, Kunzima kubantu abahola kancane.
• 30 January 2020: Business Tech, South African households are getting poorer, while the cost of living continues to rise.
• 30 January 2020: MSN Money, Household food basket price increases.
• 29 January 2020:  IOL Business Report, Unions say 5% wage offer will make workers poorer.
• 27 January 2020: New Frame, Workers want one minimum wage for all.

December 2019

• 20 December 2019:  Daily maverick, Sky-high price of SA cellular services has life-threatening consequences.
• 19 December 2019:  Business Tech, The big problem with the National Minimum Wage – one year later.
• 13 December 2019: Grocotts Mail, One Wage Campaign stands out against wage discrimination.
• 10 December 2019: Health E News, A quarter of SA children’s hospital deaths linked to severe malnutrition.
• 3 December 2019:  Cape Times, Workers’ rights organisations call for equality for all on minimum wage.

November 2019

• 28 November 2019: Cape Times, Call for higher national minimum wage.
• 22 November 2019: The Citizen, Reserve Bank ‘could have helped consumers’.

October 2019

• 28 October 2019:  WITS, South Africa still has a long way to go on the right to food.
• 25 October 2019:  The Witness, Crisis Deepens – 56% living on less than R41 a day.
• 26 October 2019: The Citizen, Food costs stunt children, bind them to poverty – Economic Justice and Dignity.
• 24 October 2019:  Post, Too poor to put food on the table.
• 22 October 2019:  SAFCEI blog, FOOD INEQUALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA.
• 22 October 2019:  News 24, Child support grant: ‘We sometimes go to bed on an empty stomach’.
• 16 October 2019:  Health E-News, World Food Day: The struggle to survive on a child support grant.
• 14 October 2019:  Citizen, SA’s social grants under threat.
• 14 October 2019:  Vryheid Herald, A new Index shows a shocking number of South Africans live below the poverty line.
• 11 October 2019:  The North Coast Courier, A new Index shows a shocking number of South Africans live below the poverty line.
• 8 October 2019:  Business Tech, More than half of South Africans are living on less than R41 a day.
• 2 October 2019:  Business Tech, Here’s how much more you’re paying for food in South Africa compared to a year ago.
• 2 October 2019:  Food, Money, Shops & Retail, South Africa, One Year Later, Here’s How Much More You’re Paying For Groceries.

September 2019

• 11 September 2019:  Mercury, Inflation continues to bite as food prices ease.

August 2019

• 1 August 2019:  Business Tech, This is how much money the poorest are living on each month in South Africa.
• 12 August 2019:  Witness, More job losses loom in Pietermaritzburg.
• 23 August 2019:  Lifestyle – Money, Well Done, You’re In South Africa’s Richest 10% – Here’s What You Need To Join The Top 1%.
• 29 August 2019:  Citizen, Poor households now squeezed for survival.
• 29 August 2019:  The World News, Poor households now squeezed for survival.
• 29 August 2019:  George Herald, Poor households now squeezed for survival.

July 2019

• 31 July 2019:  Business Tech, 34,000 domestic workers lost their jobs in 2019 so far.
• 8 July 2019:  Mercury, Rising prices bring consumers to their knees.
• 2 July 2019:  SABC News online, Organisation calls for role of Reserve Bank to be scrutinised.

June 2019

• 18 June 2019:  Business Tech, 4 things killing your wallet in South Africa right now.

April 2019

• 18 April 2019:  The Citizen, Mboweni’s cake flour zero-VAT plan backfires on the poor.
• 17 April 2019:  Business Day, Zero-rating VAT plan is completely inadequate, civil society group says.
• 6 April 2019:  The Mercury, Durban residents petition to stop tariff increases.
• 4 April 2019:  The Mercury, Eskom’s latest hike will ‘wipe out’ R80 grant increase.
• 1 April 2019:  Health-E News, #FreeToBleed, Zero-rating and free pads to start in South Africa.

March 2019

• 12 March 2019:  The Mercury, How Eskom’s electricity hike will affect pensioners.

February 2019

• 21 February 2019:  The Witness, Downward Spiral Continues.
• 21 February 2019:  Martizburg Sun, City grannies want December bonuses.
• 21 February 2019:  The Mercury, #Budget2019: Motorists will be hit hardest from Budget Speech.
• 21 February 2019:  The Mercury, #Budget2019: ‘We can’t survive on paltry R80 increase’.
• 7 February 2019:  Mail & Guardian, Mr President, the old-age pension is an investment, not a burden.
• 6 February 2019:  Times Live, Pensioners: Dear Mr President, we want a 13th cheque.
• 4 February 2019:  Business Day, Minimum wage exemptions will leave workers worse off than before, NGO says.

December 2018

• 10 December 2018:  The Witness, Wage hike for domestics ‘still too low’.

November 2018

• 18 November 2018:  City Press, Pensioners demand 13^th cheque.
• 12 November 2018:  The Witness, The ACTUAL cost of living.
• 9 November 2018:  Isolezwe Abadala bafuna ukuholelwa ibhonasi ngoDesemba.
• 2 November 2018:  The Mercury, Could electricity price hikes lead to meter tampering?
• 1 November 2018:  ENCA, Pensioners demand increase to deal with high cost of living.
• 1 November 2018:  The Mercury, LOOK: Pensioners ask Parliament committee for grant increase.
• 1 November 2018:  Cape Times, KZN Pensioners address Parliament over pay-outs.

October 2018

• 31 October 2018:  The Witness, Gogos call for better pension.
• 25 October 2018:  Power FM MTBPS, Gogos want Christmas bonus from Tito Mboweni.
• 25 October 2018:  The Star Late Edition, VAT Scrapped on Essentials: Mboweni announces zero-rating on sanitary towels, cake flour and bread flour from April.
• 24 October 2018:  The Post, Too poor to put food on the table.
• 18 October 2018:  The Mercury, Food prices on the rise.
• 17 October 2018:  Maritzburg Sun, ‘Line between hunger and anger growing thinner’.
• 16 October 2018:  Moneyweb, World Food Day, Outlook for food security has not improved.
• 16 October 2018:  IOL News, Government urged to avert crisis as poverty levels ‘accelerate’.
• 4 October 2018:  Daily News, How latest #FuelHike will hit the poor.

September 2018

• 21 September 2018:  DGMT, Why we need big business to make bold moves and get behind this simple super food.
• 13 September 2018:  Daily Maverick, Zero-rating foods, petrol price hikes supercharge a debate day.
• 12 September 2018:  Business Day, Lobby groups and NGOs try to convince Parliament to zero rate chicken.
• 12 September 2018:  Fin24, VAT: Give us the chicken, organization appeal to Parliament.
• 12 September 2018:  Fin24, 7 things treasury, parliament must consider as they expand the list of zero-vat items.
• 3 September 2018:  Daily Maverick (By Health-e News), Thousands go hungry after mismanagement of food relief.
• 2 September 2018:  City Press, Editorial: Food wars begin.

August 2018

• 13 August 2018:  Business Live, Food crisis is much bigger than simply tinkering with zero-rating VAT.
• 13 August 2018:  Times Live, VAT zero-rating not the best way to help the poor‚ warn experts.
• 12 August 2018:  Inter Press News Agency, How the Lack of Affordable Vegetables is Creating a Billion-Dollar Obesity Epidemic in South Africa.

July 2018

• 15 July 2018:  City Press, Brace for more pain: Price increases push poor to cut back on food purchases.
• 7 July 2018:  IOL, ‘It’s Cyril to the rescue’.