• The February 2026 Household Affordability Index shows the cost of a basic food basket has risen again, placing severe pressure on low income households.

• Many workers now rely on mashonisa loans to buy groceries, often paying back far more than they borrowed due to high interest charges.

Sipho works at a small factory in Germiston.

He earns a steady wage, but it is not enough to cover everything anymore.

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The February 2026 Household Affordability Index shows food prices have increased again. The cost of the basic household food basket keeps climbing, even as many workers' incomes stay the same.

For Sipho, the problem starts after rent and transport are paid.

By the second week of the month, the money for groceries runs out. But his two children still need to eat.

That is when he turns to a mashonisa.

He borrows a small amount to buy maize meal, bread, cooking oil and a few basics. By the time he pays it back with interest, a large chunk of his next pay is already gone.

Then the cycle starts again.

The index tracks the cost of food that low income families depend on. It shows steady increases in essential items, which slowly eat into household budgets.

When food takes up most of a salary, families have few options left.

Some cut back on meals. Others remove meat and fresh produce from their shopping list. Many borrow money, even when they know it will cost them more in the long run.

Debt for food is becoming normal in many communities.

High interest loans leave families trapped. After repaying what they owe, there is even less money available for the next month's groceries.

The rising cost of living is not only about higher prices in shops. It is about growing debt, stress and fear of hunger.

For families like Sipho's, borrowing money just to put food on the table has become a painful monthly routine.