Bad News for Meat Prices Ahead of Pay Day Weekend

Bad news for meat prices ahead of pay day weekend

South African households are feeling the pinch at the dinner table, with the price of meat – especially beef- emerging as a major driver of consumer inflation in June. According to the latest data from Stats SA, the annual food inflation rate climbed to 5.1%, marking a 15-month high, and meat was the leading contributor. This spike helped push the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) up from 2.8% in May to 3.0% in June. Beef prices lead the surge …

Meat prices surge ahead of payday weekend

As South Africans gear up for payday weekend and dust off their braai grids, they might find their flames burning through their wallets faster than ever before. The cost of meat has soared to a 25-month high, jumping 6.6% compared to last year, with a sharp 2.2% spike recorded in June 2025 alone, making it the biggest contributor to the surge in food inflation this winter, as reported by Smile FM. The pain is particularly felt in beef-loving hou…

FMD and MDM drive food inflation through meat prices

South Africa has partially lifted the Brazilian chicken import ban, which should ease pressure on prices in the medium term.

Meat prices push grocery bills up

Meat was the biggest driver of food inflation after surging to a 25-month high of 6,6% year-on-year and 2,2% month-on-month in June 2025. This is according to Paul Makube, senior agricultural economist at FNB Commercial. The foot and-mouth (FMD) disease outbreak created a short supply crunch due to the inability to slaughter livestock mainly cattle, while the earlier ban on Brazilian chicken imports due to bird flu outbreak caused panic in the m…