Food and non-lcoholic beverages and tobacco
Food and non-alcoholic beverages which accounts for 16.5 percent of the NCPI basket, recorded annual inflation rate of 5.9 percent in February 2025, compared to 5.8 percent witnessed in February 2024. On a monthly basis, the inflation rate for this component stood at 0.9 percent, compared to 1.0 increase recorded the previous month.
This Month Analysis
The Food sub-category accounts for 14.8 percent of the consumer basket in the NCPI. Within the Food sub-component, ‘Bread, and cereals’ accounts for the highest weight of Food items that
consumers purchase with a weight of (4.8%), followed by Meat (3.5%); ‘Sugar, jam, honey, syrups,
chocolate, and confectionery’ (1.4%); Vegetables and ‘Milk, cheese, and eggs’ (1.2%) each.
The annual inflation rate of Bread and cereals increased to 6.1 percent, compared to -0.4 percent observed in February 2024. The increase in this subcategory mainly emanated from the price levels of ‘Maize, meal/grain’ (from -8.3% to 10.8%); ‘Rice’ (from 7.2% to 12.6%); ‘Mealie rice/malt’ (from 1.8% to 3.2%).
The Meat subcomponent registered an annual inflation rate of 8.1 percent in February 2025, compared to the 4.7 percent recorded in February 2024. The increase is mainly witnessed in the price levels of ‘Biltong’ (from -6.7% to 7.0%); ‘Minced meat’ (from -1.0% to 9.3%); ‘Beef’ (6.2% to 13.6%) and ‘Mutton/Lamb’ (0.0% to 5.2%).
The annual inflation rate of Bread and cereals increased to 6.1 percent, compared to -0.4 percent observed in February 2024. The increase in this subcategory mainly emanated from the price levels of ‘Maize, meal/grain’ (from -8.3% to 10.8%); ‘Rice’ (from 7.2% to 12.6%); ‘Mealie rice/malt’ (from 1.8% to 3.2%).
The Meat subcomponent registered an annual inflation rate of 8.1 percent in February 2025, compared to the 4.7 percent recorded in February 2024. The increase is mainly witnessed in the price levels of ‘Biltong’ (from -6.7% to 7.0%); ‘Minced meat’ (from -1.0% to 9.3%); ‘Beef’ (6.2% to 13.6%) and ‘Mutton/Lamb’ (0.0% to 5.2%).