Customers scramble as egg shortage bites
Pretoria residents are scrambling for eggs as shortages continue to hit grocery shelves across the country, while prices soar to as high as R130 for 30.
Pretoria residents are scrambling for eggs as shortages continue to hit grocery shelves across the country, while prices soar to as high as R130 for 30.
Chicken supply has also been affected as millions of laying hens and broiler chickens were culled in what has been called South Africa’s worst avian flu outbreak since 2017.
Some supermarket chains have reportedly implemented egg rations, with some branches limiting customers to six eggs per purchase.
In response to a customer inquiry, Woolworths said that it was experiencing supply issues and asking customers to buy smaller quantities.
Hi Linda,
We're expressing supply issues and are asking customers to buy just 6 eggs at a time while we work with our farmers to solve this issue.
We suggest phoning ahead to your local store to check on their stock levels 😊— Woolworths SA (@WOOLWORTHS_SA) October 4, 2023
Residents have also been on social media to find stores that have stock.
Willie Snyman, who sells eggs at the Centurion Boeremark, said that residents are desperate to buy out his limited stock quickly every weekend.
“Last week we had almost no eggs. The market isn’t always that busy, so I usually take about 40 trays. Now with the egg shortages, I have had to ask my supplier to up my order to meet the demand,” said Snyman.
“I am in retail, running a shop, and at this stage, I don’t have one single egg in my shop. It’s crazy.
“Even though the price has gone up, people still buy them. Unfortunately, we can’t supply everyone with the eggs that they need.
“I believe that it will stabilise in the near future, but it will take a while.”
Snyman said suppliers were struggling to meet retail orders, supplying fewer eggs and stock selling out before new shipments arrived.
“Most of the suppliers are sitting with a backlog – as the eggs come in, they sell very quickly.”
The South African Poultry Association (Sapa), together with the agriculture department is looking into vaccinating chickens against avian flu.
Sapa general manager, Dr Abongile Balarane, previously told Rekord that the bird flu has not been recorded in humans.
“Fortunately in South Africa, there has never been a case [of the flu] moving from chickens to human beings. We are observing and monitoring the situation in terms of the long-term solution for this avian influenza.”
Balarane said the outbreak was first detected in the Western Cape, and then spread throughout the country.
“The common bird flu in South Africa is the H5 N1, but around June, we encountered a new strain of H7 N6 around Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
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