• Meat prices have increased again, with stewing beef up 32% and overall meat inflation at 11.7% - the highest in seven years.

• Eggs, milk and rice have become cheaper, offering some relief as transport and fuel costs continue to drop.

South Africans are feeling the squeeze at the supermarket as meat prices reach their highest levels in seven years.

Stats SA data shows annual inflation rose slightly from 3.3% in August to 3.4% in September, driven by steep increases in meat costs.

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Meat inflation hit 11.7%, its highest since January 2018. Stewing beef saw one of the biggest jumps, up 32.2% compared to last year, as farmers battled the effects of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

Pork and lamb prices also climbed sharply, while chicken inflation rose from 4.4% to 5%.

Not everything went up, though. Egg prices dropped by 8.2%, with an 18-pack now costing an average of R62.58 compared to R69.36 a year ago. Fresh full-cream milk was 2.1% cheaper, while cheese prices rose only slightly.

White rice fell 7.8% in price, while maize meal inflation increased to 9.5%. Non-alcoholic drinks became a little cheaper overall, but coffee prices jumped 12.2%.

Housing rentals went up 3.2%, with townhouse rentals rising the most at 5.4%.

There was some good news at the pumps - transport costs fell for the thirteenth straight month, with fuel down 0.3% between August and September.