The prices of food items included in a household food basket for December were slightly down compared to November 2025 and December 2024. Although this seems like good news for low-income consumers, the small amounts they saved will probably not help them afford school supplies for the new school year. The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group compiles the household food basket as part of its Household Affordability Index based on a price survey completed by women who live in low-income communities at places where they shop.
It tracks the prices of 44 basic foods from 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Mtubatuba in Northern KwaZulu-Natal and Springbok in the Northern Cape. The latest survey shows that the average cost of the household food basket was R5 333.45 in December, R80.08 (-1.5%) less than in November and R49.93 (-0.9%) less than in December 2024, rising to R5 333.45 in December 2025. Food items in the household food basket that cost more than 5% more in December compared to November, include carrots (9%), bananas (6%) and oranges (9%).
Food items in the household food basket that cost more in December than in November by between 2% and 5% include fish (3%), tomatoes (3%) and spinach (2%). On the other hand, food items in the basket which decreased in price in December 2025 by 5% or more include rice (-5%), potatoes (-8%), onions (-9%) and butternut (-28%). Food items in the basket which decreased in price in December 2025 by between 2% and 5% include maize meal (-3%), samp (-2%), cooking oil (-2%), salt (-3%), frozen chicken portions (-2%), beef liver (-2%), green pepper (-2%), Cremora (-4%), tinned pilchards (-3%), canned beans (-2%), margarine (-2%) and apricot jam (-2%). Prices of food items in the household food basket also differed from area to area, as this chart shows:
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