While fuel cost less again, the prices of maize meal and all kinds of meat make it more difficult for consumers to feed their families.
Inflation edged up slightly higher in September and the price of meat had a lot to do with it, with meat inflation reaching its highest annual rate since January 2018.
Statistics SA released the inflation data for September on Wednesday, showing annual consumer inflation increasing slightly to 3.4% in September from 3.3% in August, while the monthly change in the consumer price index (CPI) was 0.2%.
This chart shows how inflation has fluctuated over the years:
Annual inflation accelerated across several product categories, most notably transport and restaurants and accommodation. In contrast, food and non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages and tobacco and furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance recorded lower rates.
Statistics SA said food and non-alcoholic beverages was a mixed bag in September with meat and maize meal inflation remaining elevated while price decreases were recorded for products such as milk, eggs and white rice.
ALSO READ: Inflation surprisingly slows in August 2025
Meat inflation continues to surge
Meat inflation reached 11.7% in September, the highest annual rate since January 2018 when it was 13.4%. Statistics SA points out that while month-on-month increases for beef products have slowed, price levels remain high. Stewing beef, for example, recorded an annual increase of 32.2%, but there was no monthly change.
And the bad news for meat lovers are that other meat categories are also feeling the heat. The annual rates for pork and lamb accelerated notably in September, while chicken inflation is also increasing, although at a slower rate. Individual quick frozen chicken climbed to 5.0% from 4.4% in August, boosted by a monthly increase of 1.1%.
ALSO READ: Inflation at 10-month high due to beef prices, but coffee drinkers will be happy
Milk and eggs cheaper than a year ago
The milk, other dairy products and eggs category at least gives consumer a breather, remaining in deflationary territory for a fourth consecutive month, with prices on average 1.6% lower than a year ago.
Statistics SA said most varieties of milk were cheaper. Prices for fresh full-cream milk, for example, decreased by 2.1% compared to a year ago.
Egg prices were also lower, with the annual rate for eggs dropping further to -8.2% from -6.7% in August. The average price of a box of 18 eggs, for example, was R62.58 in September 2025, down from R69.36 in September 2024.
However, if you are a cheese lover, the news was not so good as cheese inflation was higher, with Gouda 6.4% and cheddar 6.3% more expensive than a year ago.
ALSO READ: Potato prices to change – Here’s what you will pay now
Prices of some starches increased, while others decreased
The annual rate for cereal products crept up to 1.6% from 1.5% in August.
However, prices for white rice continue to fall, with the index 7.8% lower than a year ago. On the other end of the scale, maize meal inflation accelerated to 9.5% from 8.2% in August.
Non-alcoholic beverages eased to 4.1% from 4.9% compared to a rate of 9.5% in September last year. Inflation for hot beverages cooled slightly to 9.0% from 10.0% in August, much lower than the 15.8% recorded a year ago.
Products in the category for non-alcoholic beverages that experienced the highest rates include coffee (12.2%), fizzy drinks in a can (7.8%) and black tea (7.1%), but fizzy drinks in a bottle decreased by 1.3%.
This graph shows the food and beverage products that recorded the sharpest price increases and decreases in September.
ALSO READ: What does it mean to target the lower inflation band of 3%?
Other notable price changes
The September inflation release also contains results for the most recent quarterly survey of housing rentals. Actual rentals increased by an annual 3.2%, up from 3.0% in June. Townhouse rentals registered a large annual increase of 5.4% from 4.1% in the previous quarter. Imputed rentals accelerated to 3.0% from 2.5%.
The transport category recorded its 13th month of deflation, with the annual rate at -0.1% in September. Motor vehicles are 1.4% more expensive than a year ago.
Passenger transport is 1.9% cheaper as fuel prices declined by 0.3% between August and September. The annual rate for fuel was -2.2%.
