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By Dylan Bettencourt
- Maize meal and rice cost less than a year ago, but white sugar increased year on year.
- Families must still buy sugar each month even as other staple prices shift unevenly.
Some of South Africa’s main staple grains are cheaper than they were a year ago, but sugar prices are moving in the opposite direction.
The January Household Affordability Index shows that the price of a 30kg bag of maize meal fell from R341.39 in January last year to R308.14 this year. Rice also dropped significantly over the same period.
But white sugar increased year on year. The price of a 10kg bag rose from R218.81 in January last year to R227.46 in January 2026 .
For low-income households, this uneven movement inside the food basket matters. Families may see small relief on some items, but other essentials quietly become more expensive.
Sugar is widely used in tea, porridge and other everyday meals. Even small increases add up over the month, especially in households already struggling to afford enough food.
Pictured above: Sugar.
Image source: Pexels
