By Anita Dangazele
- The SAHRC closes the second leg of its national food systems inquiry on Friday, 10 July.
- Amandla.mobi says Shoprite has ignored a 20,000-signature petition demanding lower food prices.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) wraps up a week of hearings into South Africa’s food systems on Friday, with retailers under pressure to explain how they set their prices.
The commission is holding the second leg of its National Investigative Hearing into Food Systems from 6 to 10 July. The first phase ran in March, when the commission heard from civil society groups, researchers and government departments.
Retailers and producers on this week’s list include Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Massmart, SPAR, Food Lovers Market, RCL Foods, Premier Foods and Tiger Brands.
Shoprite, Africa’s biggest retailer, was noticeably absent from the March hearings.
Commission chairperson Sandra Makoasha questioned why the retailer had not appeared to account for excessive pricing and poor food quality.
Advocacy group Amandla.mobi has kept up pressure on the retailer for over a year.
Its “Shoprite, bring your food prices down!” petition has collected more than 20,000 signatures, demanding the retailer publish pricing data across its supply chain.
Amandla.mobi founding director Koketso Moeti told the commission in March that profiting from hunger makes no sense as a business strategy.
The group has also staged protests outside a Shoprite distribution park in Centurion, delivering its petition directly to company representatives.
Shoprite’s own financial disclosures show why it remains a target.
The retailer’s CEO, Pieter Engelbrecht, earned R83-million in the 2024 financial year, making him the country’s highest-paid retail boss. The group’s total revenue reached R130.8-billion in the same year.
The stakes are high.
Stats SA figures presented to the commission show food insecurity affects 22.2% of households, or about 14 million people. More than one in four children in South Africa suffer from stunting linked to malnutrition.
Makoasha has said the commission will announce its next steps, including possible investigations, by Friday.
Pictured above: Protesters during the SAHRC’s first leg of the Food Inquiry in March 2026.
Image source: Amandla.mobi
