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food inflationlatest news & developments
South Africa needs to revive its domestic vaccination manufacturing capability to keep foot-and-mouth disease under control. Photo: File

SA food inflation rises again — but doesn’t shift the moderate outlook

Concerns over poultry and red meat supplies should not have a bearing in the long term

Annual consumer inflation was unchanged at 3.2% in February at 3.2%, with increases registered in housing and utilities, food and alcoholic beverages and restaurants and accommodation offset by decreases in the services sector, Statistics South Africa said on Wednesday.
 (Guillem Sartorio/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Consumer inflation unchanged at 3.2% in February

With inflationary pressures heightened, the Reserve Bank might take a cautionary approach regarding its interest rate decision on Thursday

A combine harvester unloads rice into a trailer in the Nagaon District of Assam, India, on May 18, 2024. (Photo by Anuwar Hazarika/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

India’s rice export ban eases as global supplies recover, benefiting SA consumers

The ban raised global food insecurity fears in 2023, but improved harvests and potential policy changes have eased concerns, benefiting import-dependent countries like South Africa

Spar chief executive Angelo Swartz

Spar looks to delivery as profits decline

The grocery retailer grew online volumes by 463%, albeit from a low base

The pace of an increase in South Africa’s consumer food prices continues to slow.  (Waldo Swiegers/Getty Images)

South Africa’s consumer food inflation continued to slow in August

The country will reap the fruits of its favourable agricultural season

Since it became clear that the country had moved past the worst of the cost-of-living crisis, the question has been, “When will things get better?”   (Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

SA’s food inflation should carry on slowing, despite global risks

Regardless of the instability of world production, there are strong reasons to feel optimistic about grocery prices

Transport, which has previously been the largest contributor to the headline rate, increased by 11.1% year-on-year and contributed 1.6 percentage points. Photo: (Delwyn Verasamy, M&G)

Inflation continues its decline

The inflation rate fell for a third consecutive month, as petrol price cuts provided some welcome relief

Data released by Statistics South Africa this week shows the unemployment rate fell to 33.9%, bucking expectations that the jobless level would tick up amid the second-quarter economic headwinds. (Dino Lloyd/Gallo Images via Getty Images)

No ends meat: South Africans go without

With food and petrol prices rocketing, impoverished people sacrifice nutritious food for starches that keep them full, leaving children malnourished and adults prone to disease

“Real household income growth remains weak

Consumer health improves but consumers are not yet clear— Transunion

The appreciation of the rand, low food inflation and stable interest rates have been positive for consumer confidence.

Small food businesses and inflation

Small food businesses and inflation

High turnover makes the food shops in central Johannesburg survive.

Koeberg’s chief nuclear officer, Riedewaan Barkadien, has resigned to take up an executive position at a nuclear power station in Canada. Eskom said former Koeberg power station plant manager Keith Featherstone would act as chief nuclear officer from the start of August.

Reserve Bank holds interest rates, despite oil price crash

The Reserve Bank has decided to keep interest rates on hold in the face of a deteriorating global growth outlook and load-shedding.

Rwanda’s urban inflation driven higher by food prices

The consumer price index for urban areas in Rwanda has risen by almost 3% due and this has been attributed partly to higher food prices.

Zambia inflation at 10-year low

Zambia inflation at 10-year low

Zambia’s inflation has slowed to its lowest rate in at least 10 years, mainly due to a bumper maize crop that led to low prices of the staple.

Repo rate left unchanged

Reserve Bank worried about oil, food prices

The South African Reserve Bank remains concerned about the effects of rising oil and food prices on the outlook for inflation, Gill Marcus says.

Rand grants reprieve

Rand grants reprieve

If the currency weakens it will mean higher prices for food, fuel and other imported products.

Food inflation a key economic risk

Global food prices have reached an all-time high and food inflation is on the rise. Will South Africa also be affected?

China to subsidise food after price spike

China to subsidise food after price spike

China’s government announced food subsidies for poor families on Wednesday as it tries to cool a double-digit surge in prices that communist leaders worry might stir unrest. The…

Soaring prices feed social unrest

Soaring prices feed social unrest

The cost of meat, sugar, rice, wheat and maize soars as the World Bank predicts five years of price volatility.

SA economic confidence rises in September

SA’s economic confidence rose in September, largely due to expected easing in interest rates and inflation in 2009, a survey showed on Thursday.

Food price inflation increases

The July year-on-year increase in the consumer price index for food is 17,8% — the highest rate since January 2003, an agriculture body says.