From Wednesday (24/02/2021) you'll be able to get a 25% discount on the Easter egg its makers have described as "an iconic South African tradition" – as two retail chains go to war.

* This article has been updated.

As of 24 March it will be selling a box of 36 Beacon Marshmallow Eggs for R64.99, both in stores and online, retail chain Game told Business Insider South Africa on Tuesday.

But by Tuesday Pick n Pay, which had maintained a standard price of R79.99 per box, was listing the same thing at R59.99 for its Smart Shopper loyalty scheme participants.

That means the likes of Clicks and Checkers continues to charge an effective R2.22 per egg, while Game comes in at R1.81 and those who qualify for Pick n Pay's price can get the eggs at R1.67 a piece.

The eggs have been selling for as much as R3 each, as listed for a string of three or a single unit at Shoprite, the highest price Business Insider found among the major retail chains.

Until 2020, Beacon's Easter eggs had been sold in boxes of 48. Though the 2021 package is 25% smaller, prices did not increase by quite that much, year on year. But the difference did make direct comparisons harder, especially considering that the custard and strawberry flavoured variants of the chocolate-coated mallow eggs come in boxes of 24 – while the big generic of the season is selling in boxes of 30 eggs.

* This article was updated throughout to include new prices, and price promises, after first publication on 20 March 2021.