South Africa's cost-of-living crisis is evolving. As inflation takes a back seat, energy costs emerge as the primary financial pressure for households. How are families adapting to this new reality?
South Africa continues to speak about the cost-of-living crisis in familiar terms: inflation, fuel prices, and interest rates.
But inside households, a quieter shift has already taken place.
The most consistent and increasingly decisive driver of financial pressure is no longer abstract economic indicators. It is electricity.
For many families, the question is no longer what goods cost at the point of purchase. It is what it costs to keep those goods running.
