Chicken Off the Table for Poor South Africans After Prices Surge
Low-income earners are being forced to consume a high-carbohydrate diet.
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Chicken, South Africa’s favorite meat, is becoming too expensive for the nation’s low-income earners, leaving them with dangerously few options for sources of protein.
Bloomberg’s Shisa Nyama Index shows that 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of frozen chicken portions -- sufficient to feed an average low-income family of seven for a month -- is the costliest item on their grocery list. A 378.9-rand ($22) bag of chicken in November equates to a fifth of spending on food for someone dependent on South Africa’s monthly old-age grant. The price has risen 9% year-on-year.