What should government do about the food crisis?

Give more money to the poor.

Using the Child Support Grant database: this will reach 65% of people who depend on informal jobs, whereas the Old Age Pension only reaches 25%.

#TopUpTheCSG by R500.

Cost: R6.2 billion a month

@ihsaanbassier provided that graph. Thanks, Ihsaan! Also read his & others' compelling argument that #TopUpTheCSG is the best response to the food crisis during the #CovidLockdown:

#TopUpTheGrants https://theconversation.com/south-africa-can-and-should-top-up-child-support-grants-to-avoid-a-humanitarian-crisis-135222

Increasing the Child Support Grant by R500 per month for 6 months is the quickest, easiest and safest way to transfer R40bn to poor households, who can use the cash to buy food and other essentials. Cash transfers also help to stimulate local economies and the informal sector.

40% of households that receive the Child Support Grant also rely on informal sector income - which they've now lost due to #CovidLockdown. The overlap is only 10% in households receiving Old Age Pension.

So #TopUpTheCSG is the best first step towards making up for lost incomes.