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Poverty and inequality are two of the biggest issues in South Africa right now. So Statistics South Africa's latest national poverty lines including food poverty lines serves as a useful guide to show just how much money each person in South Africa requires to buy food (to survive) as well as the amount of money required to just get by with the bare basics in South Africa
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National poverty lines in South Africa
The table below shows the national poverty lines (lower and upper bound) as well as the food poverty lines every year from 2006. And what it shows that in April 2019, each person required R561 a month to buy the basic foods required to survive every month. The table also shows that the upper bound poverty line of R1 227 shows that anyone who has less than R1 227 a month is deemed poor in South Africa. The lower bound range shows that the bare minimum required to survive in South Africa (with food and basic goods) is R810 as at April 2019.
While we can try and explain the table above, we probably cant do it better than Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) that published these tables. Below their summary of the table above.
The national poverty lines were constructed using the cost-of-basic-needs approach which links welfare to the consumption of goods and services. The lines contain both food and non-food components of household consumption expenditure.
Stats SA also had the following to say regarding the national poverty lines.
The primary purpose of the national poverty lines is to provide a tool for the statistical measurement of money-metric poverty. More specifically, the NPLs were developed to:
a) Provide a consistent and constant benchmark against which progress on a money-metric/ expenditure-based dimension of poverty can be monitored;
b) Improve the country’s ability to target developmental policies and programmes, both towards specific groups and/or regions (through determining the poverty profile); and
c) Increase knowledge production for policy development and reform around poverty reduction and eradication.
It is important to note that the national poverty lines were not designed to be used for:
Nevertheless, the NPLs can help inform and serve as a possible input into some of these processes in ways that could create pro-poor dimensions.
The national poverty lines were constructed using the cost-of-basic-needs approach which links welfare to the consumption of goods and services. The lines contain both food and non-food components of household consumption expenditure.
- Food poverty line – R561 (in April 2019 prices) per person per month. This refers to the amount of money that an individual will need to afford the minimum required daily energy intake. This is also commonly referred to as the “extreme” poverty line;
- Lower-bound poverty line – R810 (in April 2019 prices) per person per month. This refers to the food poverty line plus the average amount derived from non-food items of households whose total expenditure is equal to the food poverty line; and
- Upper-bound poverty line – R1 227 (in April 2019 prices) per person per month. This refers to the food poverty line plus the average amount derived from non-food items of households whose food expenditure is equal to the food poverty line.
Stats SA also had the following to say regarding the national poverty lines.
The primary purpose of the national poverty lines is to provide a tool for the statistical measurement of money-metric poverty. More specifically, the NPLs were developed to:
a) Provide a consistent and constant benchmark against which progress on a money-metric/ expenditure-based dimension of poverty can be monitored;
b) Improve the country’s ability to target developmental policies and programmes, both towards specific groups and/or regions (through determining the poverty profile); and
c) Increase knowledge production for policy development and reform around poverty reduction and eradication.
It is important to note that the national poverty lines were not designed to be used for:
- Determination of equitable share to provinces
- Setting the national minimum wage
- Determining eligibility thresholds
- Determining the amount to be paid for social grants
Nevertheless, the NPLs can help inform and serve as a possible input into some of these processes in ways that could create pro-poor dimensions.