Every month we take a look at the in-store prices of the same basket of goods across six major retailers – Shoprite, Checkers, Pick n Pay, Spar, Food Lover’s Market and Woolworths.
Shopping list
Our grocery basket is made up of nine basic goods most people are likely to have in their homes and use every day. The list looks like this
- 700g loaf of Albany Superior Sliced White Bread, or store brand
- 2-litre store brand sunflower oil
- 2.5kg Iwisa maize meal
- 2.5kg Selati white sugar
- 2-litre store brand milk
- 2kg Tastic rice
- 2.5kg Snowflake cake flour
- 175g bar of Dettol Herbal Soap
- 9-pack of two-ply Baby Soft toilet paper, or store brand
If some brands aren’t available, alternatives are used, but our aim is to keep the products as consistent as possible every month. For a breakdown of our methodology, click here.
December’s basket
We added Food Lover’s Market to our list of major retailers in December. Over the festive season, its basket ended up being the most affordable option. Pick n Pay was the most expensive option at R417.21 for the bag of goods, R31.34 more expensive than the cheapest option.
These prices were collected on 22 December 2022.
Notebook
- For our methodology, a full set of prices, collection notes and republication guidelines, please go here: The Outlier grocery basket: Our methodology
This story was edited to update editorial style on 26 June 2023. No material changes were made.