How 4 South African households budget for groceries

Last updated on 6th June, 2024 at 03:26 pm

With the high cost of living, it’s not easy navigating a grocery budget. We caught up with four South African households, all earning R25 000 per month and under, to find out how they manage it month to month.

Reading time: 4 minutes

In this article, you will learn:

• South Africans’ grocery spending at a glance
• How four average South African households budget for groceries
• Personal tips and tricks to save money on groceries

What do South Africans spend on groceries?

According to Stats SA, the lowest income earners in South Africa spend the biggest portion of their salaries on groceries; up to 50%, while the middle class spends around 34% of their salaries on groceries. On the other side of the spectrum, higher-income households spend around 11% of their salaries on groceries. Breaking this down per province, Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity found that Joburg’s average monthly household grocery spend is R5 215.79, followed by R5 069.40 in Durban, R5 062.03 in Cape Town, and R4 930.14 in Pietermaritzburg.

To look at how average South Africans navigate the cost of living, we spoke with four households, who share tips and tricks they’ve learned over the years to keep costs down.

Nathan Collings (36) and Marga Meyer (34)

Since moving in together, engaged couple Nathan and Marga have realised that the cost of living greatly decreases when sharing expenses. “When it comes to groceries, I try to buy as much bulk as I can, as it lowers the cost over the long run. Our grocery budget incrementally decreases in three-month cycles,” says Marga. They spend around R6 000 in month one, and thanks to bulk buying, their budget drops to around R4 500 in month two, and R4 000 in month three. “When buying bulk, always go for meat, coffee, and canned food,” her partner Nathan advises.

Nathan and Marga’s grocery budget top tip

“For certain meals, I’ve found it’s actually cheaper to buy pre-made,” says Marga. “Most grocery stores have buffet-style counters; I will add a spoonful of things we crave, like mash, glazed veggies, and spiced rice – the quantities are small, but we get variety for a lot cheaper than making all of those things at home – especially if you factor in that you’re not using electricity or gas to cook, and no water and detergent for washing up.”

Daniel Tate (34) and Johan Horn (32)

Daniel and Johan are a couple, and to cut down on the cost of living in the city, they share a house with two other people. “It was a no-brainer that we would all split the cost of food,” explains Daniel. “We plan meals for the week, and everyone contributes.” Daniel also notes that they’ve made certain sacrifices when it comes to groceries: “We eat mainly vegetarian because of the cost of meat, but try to remain creative.” Currently, each person in the house contributes R1 750, for a total spending of R7 000 per month.

Daniel and Johan’s grocery budget top tip

“It’s not always realistic to plan every single meal for 30 days in advance,” says Daniel. “We only do grocery budgets for Monday to Friday along with our housemates. For the weekends, we’ve set aside R750 each, which we use as our ‘whatever we want to eat’ fund.”

Thandeka Philander (38)

Thandeka is a single mother living in the heart of Cape Town’s CBD, so a large part of her salary goes towards rent and school fees. “It also means that I’ve had to get quite creative and frugal when it comes to groceries. To help cut costs, my family gave me a great idea to go back to basics: traditional dishes.” She explains that she’s teaching her daughter simple yet hearty eating with meals consisting of pap, grains, beans and offal, which are much cheaper than processed foods. Thandeka spends between R5 000 and R6 500 on groceries for her household every month.

Thandeka’s grocery budget top tip

“Keep an eye on online deals,” she says. “Many major sites sell everything from baking supplies to fresh produce. I like to stock up on things like snacks and earn points through my bank that I can redeem on future purchases.”

Edwain Steenkamp (34)

Edwain is a freelancer, which means money is on his mind most of the time. “I have to be extra careful when it comes to budgeting – especially for food. I’ve been able to cut my grocery budget by almost R1 500 per month with meal-prepping. On Sundays, I cook five portions of food and freeze it for the week.” He suggests looking out for hearty ingredients that pack a punch without breaking the bank: “Consider chickpeas, lentils, rice, potatoes, and use fragrant and powerful spices; somehow they get even tastier after defrosting!”

Ed’s grocery budget top tip

“I always go to a mall for groceries. This means I can stop at several shops to get the best deals at each one. Sometimes Woolworths has milk on sale, but Pick ‘n Pay has bread on a special. While it may take some extra time, you’ll be surprised how much money you can save!” Ed currently spends around R4 500 on groceries every month.