Business

Joburg Leads South Africa in Grocery Costs According to 2025 Data

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2 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Chiraag

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Gauteng’s capital holds the top spot for the seventh month running

Anyone who has pushed a trolley through a Johannesburg supermarket lately will tell you the same thing. Groceries feel heavier on the bill than they do in the bag. New data confirms what Joburg families already know. Among South Africa’s three major metros, the city has become the most expensive place to buy essential food items, and it has held that position for seven consecutive months.

The findings come from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity group, which tracks the real cost of a household food basket made up of forty-four everyday items commonly bought across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape.

The numbers behind the squeeze

By the end of November 2025, the average national food basket sat at R5,413.53. That is only a modest annual increase of R52.49, yet the picture changes sharply once the baskets are broken down by city.

In Johannesburg, the same basket cost R5,604.49. It is almost R191 above the national average and R48.06 more than it cost in November 2024. Month to month, Joburg shoppers saw an increase as well, with the basket rising by R67.24 from October.

Cape Town, once known for pricier groceries, has now overtaken Durban as the most affordable metro. A Cape Town food basket came in at R5,349.17, which is R255.32 cheaper than Joburg, even though it did record an annual rise of R88.74. The city still managed to show a small month-to-month decrease of R23.11.

Durban remains the most stable of the three. The city’s food basket dropped slightly to R5,305.74 in November, showing virtually no movement year on year.

What is pushing food inflation around the country

Nationally, inflation has edged higher, reaching 3.6 percent in October. It is the highest level since late 2024. Overall food and non alcoholic beverage inflation softened to 3.9 percent from 4.5 percent the month before, but the slowdown was uneven.

Prices eased in categories such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, beverages, sugar, and some confectionery. Meat inflation also cooled slightly, although several cuts remain stubbornly high. Stewing beef is still up by more than 30 percent, while beef steak, mince, sausages, boerewors, and mutton all sit in double-digit territory.

Some essentials became cheaper over the past year, including white rice, brown bread, instant noodles, and certain hot cereals. Eggs and several milk varieties also dropped, although the broader dairy and egg category still sits in mild deflation.

On the other hand, cereal products, fish, oils, fats, and other staple foods saw faster increases. Maize meal remains under pressure and recorded double-digit inflation during October.

Why Johannesburg keeps topping the list

The data hints at a combination of factors shaping Joburg’s food reality. Higher transport and logistics costs tend to hit landlocked provinces harder. The city’s dense demand also plays a role, and household reliance on supermarkets rather than fresh produce markets can amplify these shifts.

Social media has been buzzing for months with shoppers sharing comparisons between provinces, posting till slips, and expressing disbelief at the cost of basics like maize meal and beef. Many Joburg residents say their monthly groceries feel pricier even when national inflation seems calm, and the new report confirms that the gap between the city and the rest of the country is widening.

A rising cost of living that continues to test budgets

Despite the slight easing in several food categories, families in Johannesburg continue to pay more than anyone else in South Africa for essential groceries. With year-end holidays, transport costs, and higher energy prices all taking their turn at squeezing household budgets, consumers are watching the food basket report more closely than ever.

Cape Town and Durban, although not immune to increases, currently offer some relief. Yet the national picture remains one of small victories overshadowed by stubbornly high prices in key items like meat and maize.

For now, Joburg holds its title as the country’s most expensive metro for groceries, and residents are left hoping that 2026 brings more than just marginal dips in the till total.