News Desk Reporter
Consumers faced a mixed picture in September, with meat inflation slowing to its lowest level in 18 months while rising fuel costs put pressure on transport prices.
South Africa’s annual consumer price index (CPI) inflation rate edged up to 4.5% in September, from 4.4% in August and 4.3% in July, according to Statistics South Africa.
Prices increased by 0.4% between August and September. There was no change between July and August.
Meat prices offered some relief, with annual meat inflation slowing to 0.7% in September from 1.5% in August. This was the lowest rate since March 2025, when meat inflation stood at 0.4%.
Meat had been a major contributor to food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation from mid-2025 to mid-2026. However, its influence has weakened in recent months.
Some beef products were cheaper than a year ago. Stewing beef prices fell by 7.2%, beef mince by 4.6%, beef steak by 4.4% and beef offal by 0.4%.
Other meat products continued to become more expensive. Corned meat prices rose by 10.7%, bacon by 10.1% and ham by 8.1%.
Annual inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages increased for a second consecutive month. It reached 1.2% in September, up from 1.1% in August and 0.9% in July.
Cereal products recorded their eighth consecutive month of annual price declines, with inflation at -1.9% in September. However, prices in the category increased by 0.3% between August and September.
Maize meal reflected the difference between monthly and annual price movements. Its price rose by 0.8% over the month but remained 8.6% lower than a year earlier.
Fuel costs were a major source of upward inflation pressure. Transport contributed 1.5 percentage points to the annual headline inflation rate of 4.5% in September, accounting for about a third of the total rate.
The transport category includes fuel, vehicle purchases, vehicle maintenance, passenger transport and courier services. Its contribution to headline inflation began increasing in April 2026.
The fuel price index rose by 6.2% between August and September. It was 27.9% higher than a year earlier. Diesel prices climbed by 46% over the 12 months, while petrol prices increased by 25%.
Higher fuel costs also fed through to passenger transport and courier services. Annual passenger transport inflation reached 12.3% in September, up from 11.6% in August. The rate has remained in double digits since June.
Airfares recorded an annual increase of 18.6%, while long-distance bus fares rose by 14.1% and minibus taxi fares by 13.8%. Annual inflation for courier services reached 6.8% in September.
Rental increases, however, eased in the third quarter.
Stats SA surveys housing rentals every three months, with the latest figures included in the September CPI release. Annual inflation for actual rentals slowed to 3.9% in the third quarter of 2026, down from 4.1% in the second quarter.
Flat rentals increased by 4% over the year, while townhouse rentals rose by 3.9% and house rentals by 3.8%.
The September figures show that annual meat inflation has eased and cereal products remain cheaper than a year ago.
However, rising fuel and transport costs continue to put pressure on household expenses.