Food inflation lowest in 16 years: StatsSA

Statistics South Africa revealed on Wednesday that the annual inflation rate for food and non-alcoholic beverages reached its lowest point in 16 years, settling at 0.9% in July, a significant decline from 0.7% in June 2010. The reduced food inflation rate is attributed to a decrease in cereal products and meat prices in July 2026.

Cereal products saw an annual decline of 2.0% in July, compared to a 1.5% decrease in June. Meat prices also exhibited slower inflation, with a year-on-year increase of 1.5% in July, down from a 5.1% increase in June 2026.

The statement from StatsSA highlighted that unprocessed beef products experienced negative annual price changes, with stewing beef decreasing by -7.9%, beef steak by -6.1%, and beef mince by -5.8%. However, several processed meat products saw an increase in prices, including corned meat (+11.8%), meat patties (+7.8%), russians (+7.7%), and sausages (+6.2%).

StatsSA monitors the price changes for 144 food and beverage products through its Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket. Notable increases in July 2026 compared to July 2025 included tomatoes (+12.5%), hake (+12.0%), and corned meat (11.8%). The infographic accompanying the announcement visualizes the price differences for various products between July 2025 and July 2026, allowing consumers to compare the cost of similar items in their shopping carts between the two years.