As the Social Development Department contends with the challenge of providing grants to 19 million South Africans, the high cost of living limits the impact of social security efforts in curbing hunger.

In South Africa, 30.4 million people have less than R1,558 a month available for food and other necessities. That is just under 50% of the population of 62 million living below the upper-bound poverty line, according to national standards. Of the 30.4 million, 29.9 million are black.

There are 13.8 million who have even less, sitting below the lower-bound poverty line of R1,058. An average of 8.5 million receive the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, and more than 19 million receive child, disability, old age and other grants.

Daily Maverick tracks the cost of 14 basic goods that a person who receives the SRD grant might buy. The basket increased slightly from last month and is still more than R70 more than the R350 grant. This doesn't take into account transport to the shop, airtime and data to apply for jobs, or check grant status, and personal grooming items such as soap, roll-on and lotion.

This month there was a price hike in bread, cooking oil and sugar beans, and a significant rise in tea bags.

This might partly be due to rising production costs. The Indian Tea Association (ITA), the leading body of tea planters, said in...