SOCIAL (IN)SECURITY: A Cape Town mother buys bread on credit to stretch her children’s grants, then spends payday settling the debt

Tamsin Metelerkamp · Daily Maverick

Published 6 Oct 2026, 12:04 am·2 d ago·1 min read

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South Africa’s R580 Child Support Grant falls far short of the R868 food poverty line, leaving parents and caregivers with little or no work trapped in debt and hunger as rising electricity and food costs erode household stability.

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SOCIAL (IN)SECURITY: A Cape Town mother buys bread on credit to stretch her children’s grants, then spends payday settling the debt

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