Food inflation sliced in half since November high of 9% – Stats SA

JOHANNESBURG - Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said food inflation had been sliced in half since its most recent high of 9% in November.

Food inflation dipped to 4.5% when Stats SA released the July inflation data on Wednesday.

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Food and non-alcoholic beverages were among the categories driving down the overall rate.

While overall food inflation has slowed, the chief director for price statistics at Stats SA, Patrick Kelly, said bread and cereals were still showing upward momentum.

"Products with the largest annual increases in July include rice, up 21.3%, pizza or pies, up 11.6%, and samp, up 6.9%."

Kelly said coffee drinkers were also still feeling the heat.

"Large annual price increases were recorded for instant coffee, up 21.8%, drinking chocolate, up 17.7%, black tea, up 15.7%, ground coffee and coffee beans, up 14.6%, and rooibos tea, up 11.1%."