Food prices are still climbing, and according to a report out of South Africa, it's not a temporary blip. Rising food prices are part of a larger trend hitting households across South Africa.

What's happening?

Independent Online (IOL) reported that the Competition Commission's latest Essential Food Price Monitoring report identified several pressure points across the food supply chain: extreme weather, high transportation costs, and ongoing load shedding.

"The reason we started this was because of factors called feathers and rockets," Competition Commission economist Khalirendwe Ranenyeni told Independent Online.

In plain terms, that means food prices tend to rise quickly when costs increase but fall slowly when costs decrease. Take maize, for example. When prices surged by 60%, grocery costs jumped almost immediately. But even after maize prices cooled off months later, those savings weren't passed on to shoppers nearly as fast.

Canned pilchards, frozen chicken, and maize meal are a few examples of everyday staples that are getting more expensive. Some prices are still high due to past events, such as the avian flu that caused egg shortages in late 2023. Others are rising again because harvests are falling short, and South Africa is expected to produce 1 million fewer tons of maize than last year.

What causes rising food prices?

A major cause of rising food prices is the climate crisis. Droughts last year dried up key crops, and that ripple effect is still being felt. Changing weather patterns, made worse by our overheating planet, are making food harder to grow — not just in South Africa but around the world.

Climate shocks are driving up rice prices across Asia, according to multiple reports, affecting billions of people. And a World Bank report warned that food insecurity is rising globally, which means lower-income households are being hit the hardest. 

It also puts pressure on school meals, nutrition programs, and health outcomes, especially in communities that are already struggling.

What can you do to make a difference?

Smarter grocery shopping, such as planning ahead, shopping in season, eating better food, and wasting less, can make a huge difference for you and everyone else. And by supporting clean cooking tech and climate-smart farming, you can help build more resilient food systems. Solar-powered stoves in Rwanda and the Digital Heating Room in Germany are two examples that make household energy use more efficient, lowering costs and reducing strain on the planet.

Food prices may be rising, but smarter systems and small everyday choices can help keep groceries more affordable for everyone.

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