By Anita Dangazele
- The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group found South Africa’s average household food basket rose again to R5,530.52 in July.
- Springbok had the country’s priciest food basket at R6,010.49. Durban stayed cheapest at R5,067.85, a gap of R942.64 between them.
South Africa’s grocery basket keeps climbing, even when the shelf tells a different story.
The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD) released its July 2026 Household Affordability Index this week. It tracks the price of 44 basic food items across the country every month.
The average household food basket cost R5,530.52 in July. That is up R28.11 from June and R87.81 more than the same month last year.
Half the basket got cheaper. Half got more expensive. Of the 44 items tracked, 22 rose in price and 22 fell.
Apples rose the most, up 6% in a single month. Maize meal, wors and tomatoes each rose 4%. Potatoes, eggs, beef tripe and stock cubes rose 3%. Cabbage, frozen chicken portions, peanut butter and polony each rose 2%.
Where you shop matters too. Springbok in the Northern Cape had the country’s most expensive basket. Durban was the cheapest, at R5,067.85. Pietermaritzburg came in as the second cheapest city surveyed, with an average basket of R5,434.76.
The PMBEJD also tracks what it costs to feed one child a basic, nutritious diet. In July that figure was R980.66, up R3.14 from June and R23.26 from a year ago.
Maize meal going up 4% matters most to families who rely on it as a staple, and it just got more expensive.
Pictured above: South Africa’s average household food basket rose to R5,530.52 in July, up R87.81 on last year, though 22 of the 44 items tracked got cheaper.
Image source: File
