Residents in several Durban townships say the cost of bread and other everyday groceries has climbed sharply at spaza shops now operated by South Africans.

Zandile, a 37-year-old single mother from Chesterville, said shoppers have noticed a significant difference since foreign-owned stores closed and local operators took over.

"We used to buy a loaf of bread for R20, but now it costs R30. Since the foreign shop owners left, almost everything has become more expensive. When we question the prices, we're told to go back and buy from the foreigners if we want cheaper goods. They know that's no longer an option, so we have no choice but to pay," she said.

For years, many foreign-owned spaza shops benefited from purchasing stock in bulk through shared buying networks, allowing them to negotiate lower prices from suppliers and sell goods with relatively small profit margins. In comparison, many South African-owned stores buy stock independently, which increases operating costs and often results in higher prices for customers.

The trend has become particularly noticeable in communities where local traders have replaced foreign nationals following increased anti-immigrant sentiment in parts of the country.

Residents in KwaMashu, north of Durban, reported similar experiences. While many welcomed the return of locally owned businesses, they said prices had risen almost immediately.

Londy, a 32-year-old resident, said even small everyday items now cost considerably more.

"Almost everything is more expensive now. A single tea bag that used to cost 50 cents is now R2. The shops also open later and close around 5pm. Before, the foreign-owned stores opened from 5am, so children could buy fresh bread before school and people could shop in the evening. Now we pay more and have fewer trading hours," she said.

Other residents echoed the same frustrations, with one remarking that communities had asked for locally owned shops and now had to accept the consequences.

To strengthen locally owned businesses, the government introduced the R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund in 2025. The programme is designed to help more South Africans establish and operate spaza shops in a sector where foreign-owned businesses have long held a strong presence.

Take-up of the fund has, however, been slower than expected. So far, 2,369 spaza shops have been approved for assistance, with R179.6 million of the available funding allocated, leaving more than R320 million yet to be distributed.

Government has said many applications were delayed because businesses did not have valid trading licences or failed to comply with other regulatory requirements. Authorities have since expanded support initiatives to help eligible shop owners meet the necessary criteria and access the remaining funding.

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