In September South African households experienced mixed trends in food prices, with Johannesburg and Cape Town seeing increases in the cost of an average household food basket, while other cities and towns such as Durban, Springbok, Pietermaritzburg, Mtubatuba and Mthatha experienced decreases.
Nationally, the average cost of a household food basket was R5,379.42, a slight decrease of R1.20 from August but a year-on-year rise of R123.74.
Cape Town and Johannesburg households saw increases in the cost of their average food baskets in September while other cities, including Durban, Springbok, Pietermaritzburg, Mtubatuba and Mthatha, recorded decreases.
In Johannesburg the basket cost R5,554.41, up R6.42 month-on-month and by R71.76 year-on-year.
Cape Town saw a sharper rise to R5,364.04, up R52.46 month-on-month and R323.86 year-on-year.
Conversely, Durban recorded a decrease of R23.97 month-on-month, though its basket cost increased slightly by R2.38 year-on-year to R5,229.11.
Springbok and Pietermaritzburg saw small declines month-on-month, while Mtubatuba experienced a notable drop of R68.27 month-on-month and R79.03 year-on-year to R5,323.02.
Mthatha’s basket decreased by R82.51 month-on-month to R5,573.54 but will be included in national averages only at a future date.
The September 2025 household affordability index, which monitors prices of 44 essential foods across 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries in key urban areas — including Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Mtubatuba and Springbok — revealed mixed pricing trends.
Of the tracked foods, 21 increased in price, while 23 decreased.
Among the sharpest monthly price increases were:
- butternut by 13%;
- green pepper by 9%;
- bananas by 8%;
- beef liver by 7%; and
- chicken gizzards by 5%.
Other foods rising 2% or more included:
- sugar beans by 4%;
- wors by 4%;
- canned beans by 4%;
- peanut butter by 2%;
- curry powder by 2%;
- salt by 2%;
- chicken livers by 2%; and
- both white and brown bread by 2%.
Meanwhile, staple foods such as potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, onions, fish, cabbage and oranges saw notable decreases. Other items such as beef, tea and soup fell by 2% or more.
According to Stats SA, the national headline inflation rate for August 2025 was 3.3%, but food inflation remained higher at 5.2%.
The latest data show that for lower-income households, food inflation remains a significant burden.
For South Africa’s lowest wage earners, the national minimum wage (NMW) of R28.79 an hour equates to R4,836.72 for a standard 21-day working month.
With one wage often supporting a household of four, the income per person falls to R1,209.18 which is well below the upper-bound poverty line of R1,634 a month.
The programme co-ordinator at the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group (PMBEJD), Mervyn Abrahams, highlighted the strain this puts on workers.
“On our calculations, using Pietermaritzburg-based figures for electricity and transport, and the average figure for a minimum nutritional basket of food for a family of four, electricity and transport take up 59.2% of a worker’s wage (R2,861.85/R4,836.72),” he said.
“Food is bought after money for transport and electricity has been set aside (leaving R1,974.87 for food and everything else), and in September 2025, we calculate that workers’ families will underspend on food by a minimum of 46.5% (with food for the month costing R3,689.64).
“Even if the entire R1,974.87 went on food, for a family of four it would provide only R493.72 per person per month, below the food poverty line of R796 per person per month,” he said.
The index showed that the average cost to feed a child a basic nutritious diet in September 2025 was R940.62, down slightly by R2.51 month-on-month and 90c year-on-year.
In comparison, the Child Support Grant of R560 remains 30% below the food poverty line and 40% below the average cost of feeding a child a basic nutritious diet.
TimesLIVE
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