South Africans are paying significantly more for meat, with prices reaching their steepest climb in seven years, according to the latest data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).

Overall consumer inflation edged up slightly from 3.3% in August to 3.4% in September, while the monthly consumer price index rose 0.2%. Increases were seen in categories such as transport and restaurants & accommodation, though others like food & non-alcoholic beverages (NAB) and household goods eased slightly.

The biggest concern for consumers is meat inflation, which jumped to 11.7%, the highest level since January 2018 (13.4%). While price growth has slowed month to month, beef remains costly — stewing beef rose 32.2% year-on-year — largely due to the lingering effects of foot-and-mouth disease disrupting supply chains.

Pork and lamb also saw notable price increases, while chicken inflation inched up from 4.4% to 5.0%.

Not all food prices climbed, however. Milk, eggs, and dairy products continued to decline, with overall prices down 1.6% from last year. A pack of 18 eggs now costs R62.58, compared to R69.36 a year ago. Cheese prices crept higher, with Gouda and cheddar up around 6%, while maize meal inflation accelerated to 9.5% and white rice dropped 7.8%.

The non-alcoholic beverages category eased to 4.1%, less than half the rate recorded in September 2024. Still, coffee saw the sharpest increase at 12.2%, ahead of black tea (7.1%) and canned soft drinks (7.8%).

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