A R20 saving on value-brand sugar exposes how packaging and marketing can drive up food prices, while civil society urges the government to rethink grants and its nutrition policy.

Although purchasing value brands of basic food items can save consumers money, it does not guarantee the affordability of a basic food basket for South Africa's most vulnerable.

Maverick Citizen has been tracking the prices of 14 basic food items that can be bought with the R370 SRD grant. Between August and September, Maverick Citizen's food basket decreased by R17 from R405.86 to R388.86.

Most items did not change in price, with the exception of rice, sugar beans and white sugar. Rice increased by R5, while sugar beans decreased by R2. White sugar decreased by R20, from R69.99 to R49.99.

Maverick Citizen tracks the cheapest brand available in-store of each food item near the end of each month. When tracking the price of white sugar near the end of August, the cheapest brands available in stock, in-store were 1kg Huletts and 1kg Selati, both priced at R34,99. Hence if a consumer were to buy 2kg white sugar, it would cost about R69.99.

But when tracking September's food basket in-store, a cheaper white sugar alternative was available. In late September, 2kg Sugarfields was priced at R49.99, while if a consumer were to buy 2kg of Huletts or Selati it would again...