With Heritage Day or National Braai Day right around the corner, it is the perfect time to host a braai – especially since the cost thereof continues to fall, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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According to Bloomberg’s Shisa Nyama Index (also known as Barbecue or Braai Index), which serves as an early indicator of where food inflation may be going, the month-on-month cost of hosting a braai decreased by 0.8%. Compared to year-on-year (YoY), prices fell by 3.2% and continue to show a declining trend.
The index is compiled using the latest data from the Pietermaritzburg Equity Justice and Dignity (PMGEJD). It includes the prices of meat (beef, wors, and chicken portions), vegetables (spinach, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, green pepper) and other ingredients (including samp, maize, curry powder, and salt).
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PMGEJD’s data collectors track food prices of 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries that target the low-income market across Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Springbok and Mtubatuba.
The latest data aligns with Stats SA’s latest consumer inflation numbers, BusinessTech reports, which revealed that the Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (Food NAB) segment experienced a slowed inflation trend since its previous high of 9.0% in November 2023.
In July, the annual rate for Food NAB was 4.5%, a slight decrease from 4.6% in June. The lowest level was recorded at 3.8% in September 2020.
The PMBEJD’s full basket comprises 44 food items. When examining the complete data set of the PMBEJD, which includes 44 food products nationwide, it is evident that while prices have decreased month over month, food inflation has been very mild year over year, gaining only 2%.
Between July 2024 and August 2024, the Household Food Basket’s average cost dropped by R25.01 (-0.5%) to R5,227.14. In August 2023, the basket went up from R5,124.34 to R102.80 (2.0%).
Food items that saw a more than 2% price increase during August include:
- Potatoes (7%)
- Green pepper (12%)
- Apples (7%)
- Salt (2%)
- Maas (2%)
- Butternut (4%)
- Canned beans (2%)
- Peanut butter (2%)
- Apricot jam (4%)
Items that saw a decrease during the same month include:
- Onions (-5%)
- Carrots (-8%)
- Spinach (-6%)
- Rice (-2%)
- White sugar (-3%)
- Samp (-2%)
- Cooking oil (-2%)
- Stock cubes (-2%)
- Chicken gizzards (-2%)
- Beef liver (-2%)
- Beef (-2%)
- Tomatoes (-3%)
- Polony (-3%
‘Meat is the most heavily weighed food group in the inflation basket, accounting for just over a third of household food spending,’ Stats SA said.
According to the statistical service, meat prices declined month-on-month by 0.4%, despite recording an annual increase of 1.0%.
‘This suggests that the YoY price gains are likely driven by a boost in export activity, which has supported overall market stability,’ the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) said.
Beef carcass prices saw a slight dip of 0.1% in July compared to the previous month but are still 9.7% higher than a year ago.
Cattle slaughters decreased by 5% in June 2024 compared to June 2023. However, from January to June 2024, slaughters were up by 8% compared to the same period last year.
Pork prices rose by 2% month-on-month and 7.8% YoY.
Prices for Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) poultry pieces fell by 11.9% YoY, dropping from R33.47/kg in July 2023 to R29.50/kg in July 2024.
This decline follows the production issues caused by the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak and reflects both a return to normal production and weaker consumer demand.
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