We were warned it was going to happen, and, of course it has. The massive increase in food prices. Drought, and a plunge in the rand set us up for shorter, more well thought out trips to the supermarket – usually accompanied by raised eyebrows, gasps of horror – and a fair sprinkling of four-letter words.
According to Stats SA, South African consumers are paying an average of 9.8% more for an average basket of shopping today, compared to the same time last year. This rise is the highest monthly year-on-year rise in food since February 2012.
Vegetables and fruit – which we should all be eating a lot more of to keep healthy – have gone up by a whopping 18.7% in the last 12 months, but you don’t have to take the knock if you shop wisely. We spoke to the Food Lover’s team to find out if this increase is across the board. Not necessarily, they said. Their advice? To take a good look at specials on offer.
Wise shoppers will go for anything that’s in season, and right now, that’s potatoes, citrus, bananas, onions, tomatoes – and coming into season, broccoli and cauliflower. Perhaps it’s time to get out the gardening tools and start growing one’s own vegies. With the help of the grey water tanks that most people have had installed, watering the garden shouldn’t be a problem. Rather than buying expensive fertiliser, go organic and find out the best way to make a compost heap – it’s a simple matter of finding the right spot in the garden to set one up – and layering garden and kitchen waste and soil.
Meat prices have also escalated, but beef and chicken have probably not gone up as much as the rest, and the price of fish has stayed much the same.
According to Stats SA, the housing and utilities category accounts for one quarter of the Consumer Price Index, and this has increased by 6.4 per cent year on year. Clothing and footwear has increased 4.8 per cent year on year, and transport (including vehicle, petrol prices, public transport and running costs) increased by 4.5 per cent.
So what isn’t going up? University fees! They have stayed the same over the last 12 months. This reflects the outcome of negotiations between students, university management and government. The moral of the story? It pays to negotiate. So, in the face of escalating costs, perhaps it’s time for everyone to sit down with their bosses and negotiate a pay increase.
Food for thought!
Contact me on gjthomo@gmail.com if you would like to share a consumer related story or idea.
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