Consumers feel the squeeze as CPI hits 10-month high in July

JOHANNESBURG - Consumer inflation has climbed to a ten-month high, putting extra pressure on household budgets.

Stats SA said the rate rose to 3.5 percent in July, up from three percent in June.

Food prices are leading the surge, with meat and vegetables the biggest drivers.

Inflation is creeping up again and much of it is coming from what we eat.

Meat prices, especially beef, have shot up more than 10 percent over the past year. 

If you bought a kilo of stewing beef last July for R95, you’re paying around R124 for the same cut today.

Vegetables aren’t helping either, up nearly 15 percent, with carrots, lettuce and tomatoes among the biggest climbers.

But there’s some relief too — dairy and eggs are cheaper than last year and even coffee lovers are getting a break as instant coffee prices start to fall.

Outside the grocery basket, July also brought higher municipal tariffs, with water up more than 12 percent and electricity up ten percent.

And after four months of drops, fuel prices rose again, making it more costly to get to work or drive to the shops.