Retail group Checkers says another petrol price hike this week will mean it is cheaper to have groceries delivered than paying for travel costs to one of its stores.

The National Treasury has postponed the increase of the health promotion levy by a year to 1 April 2023.

Pay founder, Raymond Ackerman, from celebrating government’s decision to put a price cap on 93 octane petrol, which means retailers can effectively sell below the regulated price. Government has also reduced the levy in an effort to take pressure off hard pressed consumers.

The general fuel levy will be cut by R1.50 per litre from Wednesday next week to 31 May 2022, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced on Thursday (31/03/2022).

The latest Household Affordability Index by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity group (PMBEJD) shows that food prices increased in March 2022 – while Russia’s war in Ukraine will likely worsen matters for consumers in the coming months.

The Competition Commission has announced plans to investigate South Africa’s fresh produce food market.

That polony sandwich cost a lot more last month than it did in January, after the price of bread, margarine and other staple foodstuffs increased and hit consumers where it hurts – in their pockets.

Statistics South Africa has published its latest consumer price index, showing that annual headline inflation held steady at 5.7% in February 2022, unchanged from the same figure in January.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine will make bread in South Africa a lot more expensive, but consumers will only start to feel the pinch three months from now, an economist has said.

Prices of cooking oils, used in thousands of products from chocolate to margarine and instant noodles, are on a tear and that means shoppers need to brace for more expensive groceries.

South African motorists can expect another record-high petrol price hike in April, with suppliers and manufacturers also likely to pass on additional costs to consumers as they cannot absorb these rapid fuel increases, say economists at the Bureau for Economic Research (BER).

South African motorists face further petrol hikes over the coming months as oil prices increase – with a R2/litre hike expected in April based on current trajectories.