South Africans hit hard by the rising cost of living

Balancing act: As a country heavily reliant on imported fuel and road transport, increases in diesel and petrol costs affect everything from farming

and food processing to distribution and retail. Photo: File

By day, life is becoming hard for South Africans. The rising fuel costs are deepening this crisis.

New data from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group (PMBEJD) paints a stark picture of the growing pressure on households, with rising food and fuel costs deepening an affordability crisis that is hitting women and children particularly hard.

The organisation’s April 2026 Household Affordability Index found that the cost of its household food basket rose by 2.3% month-on-month to R5 452.09, an increase the PMBEJD said may be linked to rising fuel prices, filtering through the food system.