In 2025, groceries in Johannesburg cost more than ever, with the average basket topping R5,656. Families struggle as prices for meat, vegetables, and cooking oil keep climbing, making it hard to afford basic meals. Many people now buy food in bulk or join cooperatives to stretch their money. Despite the challenges, communities show strength and creativity, finding new ways to share and support each other in a city where food means more than just eating – it’s about survival and hope.
In 2025, Johannesburg’s average grocery basket costs R5,656.43, the highest in South Africa. Rising prices for essentials like beef, vegetables, and cooking oil strain budgets, forcing households to adopt coping strategies such as bulk buying and food cooperatives to manage urban food insecurity.
Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic powerhouse, buzzes every morning with the rhythm of commuters, vendors, and shoppers. Yet, beyond the city’s lively markets and modern malls, an urgent challenge brews in household kitchens. In 2025, obtaining the essentials for a healthy diet has become increasingly difficult, as food prices surge and families find their budgets stretched thin.
Each month, the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity group (PMBEJD) carefully tracks the prices of 44 essential grocery items. Their “household food basket” – which includes staples like maize meal, cooking oil, vegetables, and tinned fish – offers a realistic snapshot of what it costs for families to meet their basic nutritional needs. This kind of research continues a long tradition, echoing the early social surveys that once mapped poverty in the world’s industrial cities.
In July 2025, Johannesburg emerged as the city with the highest food basket cost in South Africa. The average price for these basic groceries jumped to R5,656.43 – an increase that now puts the city more than R200 above the national average for metro areas. While this difference might appear trivial at first glance, it carries significant weight for the many Johannesburg residents who earn wages that have not kept pace with the rising cost of living.
Cape Town and Durban, South Africa’s other major metros, are hardly immune to the trend. Cape Town’s average basket cost rose sharply by 6.7% in just twelve months, hitting R5,371.35. Durban, with the most affordable basket among the three, still saw prices climb by 2.8% to R5,358.09. As inflation continues to erode purchasing power, these increases pressure households to make hard choices about what to put on their tables.
Urban food insecurity has deep roots in South African history. In the early twentieth century, Johannesburg attracted miners and laborers seeking opportunity, but it also became a crucible of inequality. Over the decades, from the bread riots of the Great Depression to the food boycotts of the apartheid era, the struggle to afford a basic meal has often served as a barometer for broader social tensions.
The current spike in food prices stems from a mix of global and local factors. According to Statistics South Africa, a notable driver this year has been the dramatic rise in meat prices. Beef, a staple for many South African families, has become almost a luxury: stewing beef alone soared by more than 21% over the past year. The reasons are complex – outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease have disrupted supply, while the costs of animal feed have risen relentlessly. Unlike previous periods when drought or political turmoil dominated headlines, today’s price hikes result from the tangled interplay of disease, climate shocks, and global market instability.
At the same time, the PMBEJD’s data highlights surging prices for everyday vegetables such as beetroot, lettuce, and carrots. Fruits and nuts, prized for both nutrition and taste, have also become less affordable for the second consecutive month. These increases reflect ongoing supply chain disruptions, unfavorable weather, and inflationary pressures that have persisted since the pandemic and recent international conflicts.
The rise in food prices goes well beyond beef. Across Johannesburg and other major metros, household essentials like cooking oil, vegetables, and bread have all climbed in cost, with several items experiencing double-digit inflation. The PMBEJD report shows that even the most basic foods, once considered accessible to all, are now out of reach for many low-income households.
Despite the overall upward trend, a few categories have bucked the pattern. Prices for white rice and some cereals have stabilized, and even dropped slightly. These exceptions offer some hope, revealing the dynamic nature of food markets, where supply and demand constantly shift. However, such moments of relief are rare and often fleeting, especially when broader economic forces keep exerting pressure on the most vulnerable.
In response, families are adjusting their shopping habits. Many now buy food cooperatively, splitting large bags of staples with neighbors to save money. Bulk buying and informal savings groups have become lifelines for those struggling to make ends meet. The creativity and resilience on display recall the coping strategies of communities during previous economic downturns, both in South Africa and abroad.
Everyday life in Johannesburg reflects these shifting dynamics. In the township of Soweto, one woman describes how she and her neighbors now pool resources, sharing the cost of bulk maize meal to stretch their money further. For her, this practice feels both new and familiar, connecting her to a tradition of communal support that sustained generations through hard times.
In Sandton, a shopper compares the price of imported nuts to luxury goods, joking that “nuts are now for the wealthy.” Similar anecdotes surface in Cape Town, where inequality is particularly stark. Residents in affluent neighborhoods browse boutique stores, while those in working-class areas rely on spaza shops and informal traders, feeling the brunt of price hikes more acutely.
The impact of rising food prices cuts across all demographics. Students swap affordability tips in WhatsApp groups, pensioners hunt for discounts at closing-time markets, and service workers in Durban’s port districts worry about how far their next paycheck will go. All the while, the rituals of preparing food – shopping, planning, sharing – remain central to daily life, even as budgets tighten.
South Africa’s artists, writers, and chefs have long documented the country’s struggles with hunger and abundance. In his iconic sketches, William Kentridge captures the contradictions of Johannesburg – a city where hope and hardship walk side by side. Today, food prices have entered the national conversation, inspiring new works that highlight food banks, urban gardens, and acts of everyday resilience.
Cooks and restaurateurs in Johannesburg’s creative districts have begun to adapt to the new economic reality. Some now focus on “nose-to-tail” cuisine, maximizing every part of an animal, or turn to indigenous and locally sourced ingredients to keep menus affordable. These innovations mirror historical responses to scarcity, from the Great Depression to modern “locavore” movements that prize sustainability and resourcefulness.
Economists and community leaders remain divided about the best path forward. While some call for more aggressive government intervention – such as price controls or subsidies – others believe that local, grassroots initiatives offer the most promise. Expanded allotment gardens, food cooperatives, and community markets have all been proposed as ways to build resilience and protect vulnerable households from further shocks.
The challenge of rising food prices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban underscores a broader global trend, but it also reveals uniquely South African dynamics. As the cost of groceries keeps climbing, the gap between wages and expenses grows ever wider, raising urgent questions about fairness, sustainability, and the future of urban life.
Despite adversity, South Africans continue to innovate and adapt. From home kitchens to bustling markets, individuals and communities find creative ways to navigate the pressures of the moment. Whether through shared shopping, new culinary practices, or renewed calls for policy change, the quest for nourishment remains a powerful force – one that binds neighbors together and shapes the story of the city.
In the end, the cost of a meal is about more than numbers on a receipt. It speaks to the resilience of households, the ingenuity of communities, and the enduring human need for dignity and sustenance. As Johannesburg and its sister cities face the challenges of 2025, their responses will offer lessons not just for South Africa, but for cities everywhere confronting the realities of an uncertain world.
In 2025, the average grocery basket in Johannesburg costs approximately R5,656.43, making it the highest in South Africa. This basket includes 44 essential items, such as maize meal, cooking oil, vegetables, and tinned fish, reflecting the basic nutritional needs of an average household. Prices have surged due to various factors, placing significant financial strain on families.
The most notable price hikes have been observed in meat (especially beef), vegetables like beetroot, lettuce, and carrots, as well as cooking oil and bread. For example, stewing beef prices increased by over 21% in the past year due to foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks and rising animal feed costs. Fruits and nuts have also become less affordable amid ongoing supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures.
Many residents have adjusted their shopping habits to cope with rising costs. Common strategies include buying in bulk, forming or joining food cooperatives, and pooling resources with neighbors to share the costs of staples like maize meal. Informal savings groups and collective purchasing help stretch limited budgets and foster community solidarity.
Yes, other metros like Cape Town and Durban are also experiencing rising food costs, although Johannesburg remains the most expensive. In Cape Town, the average basket rose by 6.7% to about R5,371.35, while Durban saw a 2.8% rise to approximately R5,358.09. These increases, driven by inflation and supply chain challenges, pressure households across urban South Africa.
Urban food insecurity in Johannesburg has deep roots linked to the city’s complex social and economic history. Since the early 20th century, inequalities stemming from mining labor dynamics, apartheid-era policies, and past food-related protests (like bread riots and boycotts) have shaped access to affordable food. Today’s challenges reflect a continuation of these systemic issues, now exacerbated by global market volatility and local disruptions.
A variety of approaches are being explored, including:
These efforts emphasize resilience, sustainability, and grassroots empowerment to protect vulnerable households and ensure food security in the long term.
If you would like more information or resources on urban food security in Johannesburg or South Africa, feel free to ask!
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