PRETORIA, Gauteng — Annual consumer price inflation in South Africa rose to 4.4% in August, up from 4.3% in July, as housing, utilities, and transport costs exerted upward pressure on the economy. The latest figures, released this morning by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), indicate that the August reading marks the sixth consecutive month that headline inflation has remained above the South African Reserve Bank’s 3 percent target.
Highlighting the key drivers behind the numbers, the Stats SA spokesperson outlined four standout aspects of the monthly report. First, food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation quickened for the first time in nine months. Second, the indices for alcoholic beverages and tobacco, as well as health, fell on a month-on-month basis. Third, fuel inflation continued its easing trend. Finally, the spokesperson noted that there was no change in the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) between July and August on a month-on-month basis.
The upward shift in food price inflation, which increased for the first time since November 2025, was a primary focus of the briefing. Annual food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation climbed to 1.1% in August from 0.9% in July. The spokesperson detailed that several specific categories experienced higher annual rates. Fish and other seafood inflation jumped to 7.5% from 6.6% in July, while milk, other dairy products, and eggs rose from 1.9% to 2.1%. Similarly, cold beverages saw a slight increase from 4.4% to 4.5%.
Meanwhile, cereal products, fruits, nuts, and vegetables experienced slowing deflationary rates, which mathematically translates to a rise in the overall index. Within the cereal products category, eight of the 19 tracked items registered higher rates. Most notably, white rice deflation slowed from -11.6% to -10.8%, and white bread inflation increased from 3.2% to 3.9% in August. Trends in the meat sector remained mixed, with pork prices continuing to climb while beef prices stayed in deflationary territory.
