ZAMBIA EXPLAINS
'I'VE HAD PEOPLE EATING CAT FOOD': THE RISING COST OF LIVING THAT COULD CHANGE AMERICA'S POLITICAL FUTURE
Article by Rodgers Mangwela | KASONDE24
When buying food becomes a daily struggle
Imagine working hard, earning a salary and still reaching the supermarket wondering which essential items you can afford to leave behind. Now imagine being forced to consider food meant for animals because feeding yourself and your family has become increasingly difficult.
For some Americans, this is not simply a discussion about economic statistics. It is a painful reality that is finding its way into political conversations ahead of the country's crucial November 2026 midterm elections.
A recent BBC report, featuring correspondent Clive Myrie speaking to voters in North Carolina, has brought attention to the growing frustration surrounding the cost of living in the United States.
The report carries a particularly disturbing headline: 'I've had people eating cat food'.
Although the statement should not be interpreted as evidence that large numbers of Americans are eating pet food, it captures the seriousness of the financial difficulties being described.
For millions of households, the question is becoming increasingly straightforward: how far can an ordinary salary stretch?
Why are Americans struggling with rising prices?
The cost of living refers to the amount of money people need to maintain their everyday lives. This includes food, housing, transport, healthcare, electricity, education and other essential expenses.
When these costs increase faster than household incomes, people gradually lose their purchasing power.
In the United States, concerns about grocery bills, fuel prices and housing expenses have become particularly important political issues.
Reuters, reporting on voters in competitive congressional districts in October 2026, found that high grocery and fuel costs were widespread concerns. Some households were cutting back on shopping, struggling with housing expenses or reconsidering their financial priorities.
Inflation is an important part of this discussion. It measures how quickly the general prices of goods and services increase over time.
However, there is an important distinction between inflation slowing down and prices actually falling.
If inflation drops from 5% to 3%, prices are still increasing, only at a slower rate. Families may therefore continue experiencing financial pressure even when economic reports suggest that inflation is improving.
This is one reason why politicians can talk about economic progress while ordinary citizens continue complaining about the cost of groceries.
When the economy enters the voting booth
America's November 2026 midterm elections are placing the cost of living at the centre of political debate.
The elections will determine which party controls Congress, making voters' economic concerns particularly significant.
For politicians, the challenge is not simply convincing people that the economy is performing well. They must demonstrate that economic policies are improving the everyday lives of ordinary citizens.
A strong stock market, impressive economic growth figures and positive business reports may look encouraging on paper. However, such achievements can mean very little to a family struggling to pay rent or purchase groceries.
Reuters has also highlighted an interesting political contradiction: economic dissatisfaction does not automatically translate into changing political loyalties. Some voters remain committed to their preferred candidates despite frustrations over household expenses.
This demonstrates that voting decisions are influenced by several factors, including political identity, party loyalty, leadership and economic performance.
Nevertheless, when people repeatedly struggle to afford necessities, their patience with political promises can eventually wear thin.
What does this mean for Africa and Zambia?
Although the BBC report focuses on American voters, the issues it raises are familiar across many African countries.
In Zambia, conversations about the cost of living are equally important. From Lusaka to Kabwe, and from the streets of Katondo to smaller communities across the country, household financial pressures influence how families organise their lives.
A family earning a modest monthly income must make difficult decisions when food prices, transport expenses, electricity bills and school requirements compete for the same money.
Consider a household in Katondo where one parent earns a monthly salary while several family members depend on that income.
If the cost of mealie meal, cooking oil, transport and other essentials increases, the family may have to reduce spending elsewhere. School requirements might be postponed, savings abandoned and healthcare expenses delayed.
These decisions rarely appear in national economic statistics, but they tell an important story about the financial wellbeing of ordinary citizens.
For Zambia and other African countries, the American experience offers an important lesson: economic success should not be measured exclusively by national growth figures.
It must also be measured by whether ordinary people can afford decent food, secure accommodation, education and healthcare.
The difference between surviving and living
One of the biggest dangers of a prolonged cost-of-living crisis is that families gradually become accustomed to financial hardship.
People stop purchasing certain foods, abandon plans to improve their homes, postpone medical appointments and reduce activities that once brought enjoyment to their lives.
Eventually, survival becomes the primary objective.
This is particularly concerning for children, whose education, nutrition and general development can be affected when household finances become unstable.
Governments therefore need to consider policies that strengthen employment opportunities, encourage productive investment, improve wages and protect vulnerable households.
At the same time, individuals can benefit from financial literacy, responsible budgeting and developing additional income-generating skills. However, personal financial discipline cannot replace the responsibility of governments to create favourable economic conditions.
A lesson politicians should never ignore
The American experience offers a powerful reminder to political leaders everywhere.
People do not experience the economy through government speeches or financial reports. They experience it when they enter supermarkets, pay electricity bills, purchase fuel and decide whether their income will last until the next payday.
A government may celebrate economic achievements, but if citizens cannot comfortably afford basic necessities, questions about economic management will continue.
For Zambia, Africa and the wider world, the message is clear: economic development must translate into improved living conditions.
Because at the end of the day, people are not simply interested in knowing whether their country's economy is growing. They want to know whether their own lives are getting better.
And when putting food on the table becomes a struggle, even the strongest political promises can begin to lose their appeal.
published by KASONDE24
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