Province with the highest grocery prices revealed
Can you guess which province is the most expensive?
The cost of living is only rising, and people across South Africa are finding it harder and harder to get by.
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Every citizen has to buy groceries, whether it's food, cleaning supplies, and more.
You might be surprised to know that grocery costs vary across the country.
The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity (PMBEJD) group have released new data that might shock you.
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The PMBEJD has just published their latest report for September 2024, which tracks the cost of a typical household food basket across various regions.
PMBEJD determines the basket by consulting the purchasing patterns of South African households, as this is what an average household might purchase monthly.
Their data shows a significant cost difference between SA's three main economic hubs; Durban, Cape Town, and Johannesburg.
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It has been determined that Johannesburg (the largest city in Gauteng) is the priciest and surpasses the other two by a large amount.
This data only confirms that the cost of a household food basket has continued to rise and reflects the effects of food inflation.
The PMBEJD states that the average basket cost was R5,255.68 in September 2024, which includes 44 essential food items.
It indicates that this is a 1.9% (R99,91) increase when compared to September 2023.
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The basket generally caters to low-income groups, but the findings are still valuable and offer insight into the broader food price trends.
The report shows that 13 of the 44 food items tracked had a yearly price decrease, which offers some relief.
Onions have decreased in price by 34%, while butternut prices also dropped by 32%.
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Despite the few reductions, 31 items have continued to increase in price over the last year.
Three products saw an increase of over 20%: tomatoes (32%), sugar beans (30%), and eggs (21%).
How do Johannesburg prices compare to Durban and Cape Town?
The basket cost in Johannesburg increased by R231,75 (4.4%) to R5,482.65, which is R227 higher than the national average.
Durban also had a 4.4% increase and is now R5,226.74, while Cape Town is still the lowest as they experienced a price decrease.
Cape Town has gone from R5,172.42 in 2023 to R5,040.18 in 2024, falling 2.6%.
Here is a full list, compiled by BusinessTech, that shows the direct comparison of groceries between Durban, Johannesburg, and Cape Town:
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