Watch: Group-shopping helps beat economic woes in Mozambique

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Watch: Group-shopping helps beat economic woes in Mozambique

2:46 CAT | 13 Sep 2016

TVM (File photo)

It’s a cliché of the times that the economic crisis is responsible for reducing Mozambicans’ purchasing power. Meanwhile, there are already families who choose to shop in groups to address the crisis. Another way to save is to shop in markets instead of in supermarkets. Televisão de Moçambique (TVM) made the experience and concluded that one can save more than 2,000 meticais.

TVM recently visited markets and supermarkets in the capital to get an idea of what an ordinary family spends on basic food shopping,

TVM used the basic food basket benchmark provided by the Mozambique Workers’ Organization (OTM), which comprises rice, corn flour, butter beans, peanuts, fish, horse mackerel, vegetables and legumes, bread, vegetable oil , brown sugar, soap, gas and electricity plus transportation for two people.

Working out the bill for a family of five, with at least two members entirely dependent on public transport to travel to work or school, TVM found that the notional family would spend 8,967.5 meticais a month shopping in retail markets like Malanga and Fajardo in Maputo.

But purchasing the same products in supermarkets pushed the price up to 11,197.5 meticais. In other words, buying in the consumer markets saves 2,230 meticais a month – a considerable amount in times of crisis.

However, there are advantages in buying in supermarkets. Supermarkets hold weekly promotions and their products usually offer guarantees.

Another response to the straightened times is shopping in groups.

TVM found friends Joana, Maria and Ana, who get together at month and go shopping in wholesale warehouses. They buy in quantity and then divide the product, reducing the price

Groups use these methods to buy products such as soaps, cleaning products, and foodstuffs such as flour and sugar.