If it's not double-digit electricity hikes, it's food prices that have increased far above the inflation rate. Coupled with persistently high interest rates, South Africans are in dire need of some relief.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to squeeze South Africans, the cost of groceries is widely expected to be the biggest increase in consumers' spending over the next six months.

A PwC Voice of the Consumer Survey 2024 found that 77% of South African consumers expect this to be the case. At the same time, 75% of them rank inflation as the number-one risk that could affect the country over the next year, followed by macroeconomic volatility (55%) and social inequality (40%).

The TransUnion Consumer Pulse survey for Q2 of the year yielded similar news, with 77% of consumers saying one of their three biggest concerns was inflation for everyday goods such as groceries and fuel, 55% saying they were worried about interest rates, and 52% saying they were concerned about jobs.

Daily Maverick compared the prices of a basket of goods each month over 18 months from December 2022 to June 2024. The total basket cost increased 11%, from R967.13 to R1,072.16, almost double the inflation rate in May 2024.

Inflation has been moderate in 2024, moving from 5.6% in February to 5.2% in May, and economists expect the plateau to continue. Koketso Mano, senior economist at FNB, supports the...