South Africa's child support grant has been below the food poverty line – the amount it costs to buy the food needed to meet a child's basic nutritional needs – for more than a decade, and the gap is growing.
Every year, the government increases the grant by an average of R20, but recent food price increases have been far higher than in previous years. The most recent poverty line is R750 a month, which is 15%, or nearly R100, higher than it was a year ago. The gap between the child grant and the food poverty line now stands at R250.
In 2012, the child support grant covered 76% of the minimum amount of food for a month prescribed by the poverty line. The latest grant covers only 67%.