The Cost of Everyday Groceries in South Africa — August 2026
Measuring the cost and composition of a defined set of everyday groceries across four major South African retailers.
Extension 7
August 2026
Introduction
Groceries are purchased frequently, making changes in their prices among the most visible changes in household expenditure. Consistent price tracking provides a way to measure these movements across commonly purchased goods.
This report introduces a grocery price dataset covering 15 everyday products across four major South African retailers. Prices were collected daily from 17 to 21 August 2026, providing an initial measurement of the cost and composition of this defined set of groceries.
Data Collection
The dataset covers 15 grocery products observed at Checkers, Pick n Pay, Shoprite and Woolworths. Each product has a fixed quantity and unit, allowing prices from different retailers to be grouped under the same product definition. Table 1 sets out these specifications.
For each product, one SKU was selected at each retailer and kept consistent throughout the observation period. A SKU qualified if it was observed on at least three of the five collection days. SKUs could differ across retailers to accommodate differences in brands and consumer preferences, while the product and quantity remained fixed.
Table 1 — Product Specifications
| Product | Specification |
|---|---|
| Maize Meal | 2.5 kg |
| Rice | 2 kg |
| Brown Sliced Bread | 700 g |
| Full Cream Milk | 2 L |
| Large Eggs | 18 each |
| Whole Chicken | 1 kg |
| Beef Mince | 1 kg |
| Sunflower Oil | 2 L |
| Potatoes | 2 kg |
| Onions | 1 kg |
| Tomatoes | 1 kg |
| Bananas | 1.2 kg |
| White Sugar | 2.5 kg |
| Instant Coffee | 200 g |
| 2-Ply Toilet Paper | 9 rolls |
Source: Extension 7 Grocery Prices Dataset.
Prices were collected from the retailers' online stores during the same daily collection window. The framework allowed for up to 300 price observations over five days. No prices were imputed where a selected SKU was not observed, leaving between three and five observations for each retailer-product combination.
The Cost of the Grocery Set
Across the four retailers, the product grocery set had an average cost of R789.97 during the observation period. The figure is based on the average observed price of each product at each retailer over the five days.
Table 2 — Cost of the Grocery Set
| Retailer | Cost (R) |
|---|---|
| Overall average | 789.97 |
| Checkers | 831.65 |
| Pick n Pay | 712.05 |
| Shoprite | 707.85 |
| Woolworths | 908.35 |
Source: Extension 7 Grocery Prices Dataset.
The composition of the R789.97 average can also be examined at product level.
Figure 1 — Composition of the Grocery Set
Rectangle area represents each product's contribution to the average cost of the 15-product grocery set. Source: Extension 7 Grocery Prices Dataset.
The cost was concentrated in a relatively small number of products. Beef mince was the largest component at R116.86, accounting for 14.79% of the total, followed by instant coffee at R104.24 (13.20%). Together, the two products accounted for almost 28% of the measured grocery set.
Sunflower oil, large eggs, white sugar, toilet paper and whole chicken each contributed between 7% and 9% of the total. At the other end of the distribution, brown sliced bread accounted for 2.21%, tomatoes for 3.20%, onions for 3.61% and maize meal for 3.89%.
Establishing a Baseline
The R789.97 observed cost could provide a baseline for measuring how the cost of the same grocery set changes over time. If the set cost R805.77 two months later, for example, this would represent a 2% increase from the initial observation. Table 3 illustrates how the same calculation could be applied over longer periods.
Table 3 — Illustrative Change from the Baseline
| Period | Grocery set cost | Change from baseline |
|---|---|---|
| 17–21 August 2026 | R789.97 | — |
| Two months later | R805.77 | +2.0% |
| Six months later | R829.47 | +5.0% |
| One year later | R868.97 | +10.0% |
Illustrative values only.
The calculation can also be applied at product level, showing whether a change in the total is spread across the grocery set or concentrated in particular products. A 5% increase in the total, for example, could result from smaller increases across most products or larger increases in only a few.
Limitations
The dataset covers four major South African retailers and considers prices listed through their online stores. Prices observed at other retailers or in physical stores are not included.
The grocery set is limited to 15 products at specified quantities. Actual household purchases may include different products, brands and quantities, and the measured cost should not be interpreted as typical household grocery expenditure.
The observation period covers five days, with some selected SKUs observed on three rather than all five days. The results therefore reflect a short observation period with varying numbers of observations across products and retailers.
Conclusion
The defined product grocery set had an average observed cost of R789.97 across the four retailers. Beef mince and instant coffee were the largest components, together accounting for almost 28% of the total.
The R789.97 cost can also provide a baseline for measuring how the same set of products changes in price over time. Using consistent products, quantities and methodology can allow future prices to be compared with a common starting point, answering a simple question: how does the cost of this set of everyday groceries change over time?