The price of putting meat on the table is fast becoming a luxury for many South Africans and just as households start adjusting their shopping baskets, new blows are looming at the petrol pumps, and when Eskoms tariff increases kick in on April 1.
In the past year red meat literally the cost of a braai pack has quietly turned into the biggest driver of food inflation. While shoppers may have noticed a few rands shaved off vegetables and staples, the real story is unfolding at the butchery, where prices have outstripped almost everything else in the food basket.
Stats SA data shows that between January 2025 and January 2026, meat prices surged sharply. Rump steak jumped 35, stewing beef 28.8, mince 26.3 and sausages 26.1. Even pork chops, often seen as a cheaper alternative, rose by 22.8.
