2025 was one of the hardest years for South African’s wallets as food prices, amongst other things they need to financial take care of, kept fluctuating.
The Household Affordability Index revealed that May was the month when food cost the most.
Food prices in the country remain a real concern, with the government attempting to ease the pressure by expanding the basket of essential foods that are VAT-free.
However, this attempt never saw the light of day, as the Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana scrapped the idea after the decision not to implement a 0.5% increase in the value-added tax (VAT) this year and next.
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Food basket price in January vs November
There isn’t really much difference between the January food basket total and November’s.
The Household Affordability Index compiled by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group releases data at the end of every month on how food prices look.
In January, key data showed that the average cost of the household food basket was R5 433.70, and in November it was R5 413.53, an almost R20 decrease.
Women from low-income communities track the prices of 44 basic food items for the Household Affordability Index at 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries where they shop in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, and the Northern Cape. The food basket varies by area.
Some of the food items the women track are potatoes, onions, chicken livers, maize meal, sugar beans, samp, cooking oil, salt, curry powder, tea, beef, wors, beef tripe, fish, carrots, spinach, canned beans, apples, soup, chicken feet, beef liver, tomatoes, Cremora, bananas and brown bread.
In January, 31 food items cost more, while the prices of 12 were less. But how did other months look during the year?
Food items tracked
For February, the index showed that the household food basket cost R5 313.22, R120.48 less than in January, but R35.92 more than in February last year, when it cost R5 277.30.
The prices of 11 food items increased, 32 decreased, and the price of oranges remained unchanged.
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In March, the women found that the household food basket cost R5 329.36 in March, R16.14 more than in February and R51.43 more than in March 2024.
22 food items in the household food basket cost more, while 21 food items decreased in price, and the price of oranges remained unchanged. The prices of core staple foods in the basket – maize meal, rice, cake flour, white sugar, sugar beans, samp and cooking oil – all increased.
In April, the index showed that the household food basket cost R5 420.30 in April. This is R90.94 more than in March and R83.99 more than in April 2024. 24 of the food items cost more, while the other 20 food items cost less.
Most expensive month
The index showed that May was the month with the highest average cost for the household food basket at R5 466.59. This cost R46.29 more than in April and R136.29 more than in May 2024.
33 of the food items cost more than the previous month, while the prices of the other 11 items decreased.
June was a bit cheaper; however, it was worrying that most of the items in the basket that add protein to the diets of low-income households all cost more than in May, while the basket also cost more than it did a year ago in June 2024.
The index revealed that the average cost of the household food basket was R5 443.12 in June, down R23.46 from the previous month. The basket cost R5 252.77 a year ago, an increase of R190.36.
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Did it get better?
The household food basket cost R5 442.72 in July, 41 cents more than in June and R190.57 more than in July last year, when it cost R5 252.15.
The July Household Affordability Index showed that the price of 17 of the 44 food items in the household food basket cost more, while 26 food items cost less.
In August, the index showed that the average cost of the household food basket was R5 380.62 in August, R62.10 less than in July and R153.48 more than a year ago when it cost R5 227.14.
The food pricing trends in August showed that 23 food items cost more, while 21 decreased in price.
Mixed signals
The end of the year sent mixed signals, as the basket kept rising and falling, not signalling a light at the end of the tunnel for households.
The average cost of the household food basket was R5 379.42 in September, R1.20 less than in August, but R123.74 more than in September 2024. In September, the prices of 21 of the food items in the household food basket increased, while 23 food items cost less.
For October, the household food basket index showed that the average cost was R5 440.60, R61.18 more than in September and R91.95 more than in October 2024. It was found that 26 of the food items in the basket of 44 products increased in price, while 18 cost less.
In November, the average cost of the household food basket was R5 413.53, which was R27.07 less than in October, but R52.49 more than in November 2024. The prices of 17 food items in the household food basket increased, while those of 27 decreased.
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