What can I do about it?

Focus on dry goods and canned items that don't go off — these are the ones that go up in price most often.

When you open a bag of maize meal, that's your signal to buy another one. You always have a spare. When prices jump (and they do every year in April), you're eating last month's price for another month.

Over a year, a family rotating a 2-bag stockpile on maize meal alone saves roughly 1–2 price increases — that's R30–80 on a 10kg bag.

You don't need a pantry — a clean bucket with a lid works fine for maize meal. Dry goods hate moisture and pests.

• Store in a cool, dry place — not on the floor (moisture comes up)
• Use sealed containers or zip-lock bags inside bags for opened goods
• Write the purchase date on the packet — eat oldest first (FIFO)
• Check expiry dates when buying — choose longest shelf life on the shelf
• Bay leaves in flour/maize containers repel weevils naturally

Fuel adjustments happen on the first Wednesday of every month. When petrol goes up, transport costs rise — and food prices follow within 2–4 weeks. The best time to top up your stockpile is the week before a known fuel price increase.

The fuel adjustment date is shown at the top of every SAvive page so you always know when the next one is coming.

A 2.5kg bag of maize meal costs roughly R55 — that's R22/kg. A 25kg bag costs about R175 — that's R7/kg. Buying bulk costs less than a third per kg. Same goes for rice, sugar, and cooking oil.

If you can't afford the upfront cost alone, split a bulk bag with a neighbour or family member. You each save, neither of you needs big storage space.

Boxer and USave are built for everyday SA families — their prices on maize meal, rice, cooking oil, sugar, and canned goods are consistently 10–25% cheaper than the same items at Checkers or Woolworths.

Do your staples shop at Boxer or USave, then buy fresh produce at your local market or spaza. Save the big supermarket trip for items only they stock.

Checkers No Name, Shoprite Ritebrand, PnP No Name — these are often made in the same factories as branded products. The label is different, the product is the same. You're paying 20–50% extra for packaging and advertising.

Good items to switch first: salt, sugar, flour, pasta, canned tomatoes, cooking oil, bleach, dishwashing liquid, and washing powder.

A stokvel buying club pools money from 5–10 households to buy in bulk at wholesale or near-wholesale prices. You split the order — nobody needs to find a big lump sum, but everyone gets the bulk discount.

Makro, Jumbo, and some Boxer stores offer better prices on larger quantities. A buying club of 6 families can buy a full pallet of cooking oil at import prices.

Meat is the most expensive item in any food budget. 500g of beef mince costs ~R60. 500g of dry lentils costs ~R12 and provides the same protein for a family meal. Speckled beans, red lentils, split peas, and soya mince are complete, cheap proteins.

You don't have to give up meat — just replace 2–3 meals a week. A beef & lentil mince mix (50/50) still tastes great, costs half as much, and goes further.

Most SA retailers refresh their weekly specials on Wednesdays or Thursdays. Wednesdays are also less busy — shelves are fuller, queues are shorter, and you're less likely to impulse-buy.

Check the Shoprite, PnP, and Checkers apps on Tuesday evening. Screenshot the specials you need. Make your shopping list before you go in — people who shop with a list spend 20–30% less than those who browse.

White bread now costs R20–28 per 700g loaf. A family eating 1 loaf a day spends R600–840/month on bread alone. A 10kg bag of maize meal costs ~R75 and lasts a family of 4 two to three weeks — that's R30–37 a week vs R140–196 a week on bread.

Pap is also more filling. A plate of pap and beans keeps you fuller for longer than bread, reducing snacking costs too.

Out-of-season vegetables travel further, have more wastage, and cost you more. Tomatoes and peppers in winter can double in price. In autumn and winter (April–August), spinach, cabbage, beetroot, carrots, onions, and sweet potato are in season and plentiful.

Buy at a fresh produce market or directly from a farmer's market rather than a supermarket — the same spinach bunch costs R6 at the market and R22 at Woolworths.

For people who are unemployed and have no other income or support. This is the most widely available grant.

• SA citizen, permanent resident, refugee, or asylum seeker
• Between 18 and 59 years old
• Earn less than R624/month
• Not receiving any other government grant
• Not in a government institution (prison, care facility)

For the primary caregiver of a child under 18. You don't have to be the biological parent — grandparents, aunts, or anyone raising the child can apply.

• SA citizen, permanent resident, or refugee
• The child must be under 18 and a SA resident
• Income test: single person earning under R4,800/month; married couple under R9,600/month combined
• You are the primary caregiver (the child lives with you)

For South Africans who have reached pension age. This is one of the largest grants and provides meaningful income security.

• SA citizen or permanent resident
• 60 years or older (men and women)
• Income test: single person earning under R86,280/year; married couple under R172,560/year
• Asset test: assets (excluding your home) under R1,227,600 (single) or R2,455,200 (couple)
• Not living permanently in a state institution

For people with a physical or mental disability that prevents them from working. A doctor or specialist must confirm the disability.

• SA citizen or permanent resident
• Between 18 and 59 years old
• Medically assessed as disabled (temporarily or permanently)
• Same income and asset limits as the Old Age Pension
• Not in a state institution

For court-appointed foster parents. This requires a court order — it's for formal foster care, not informal arrangements with extended family.

• You must have a court order making you a foster parent
• The child must be under 18
• SA citizen or permanent resident
• No income or asset means test applies

For parents or primary caregivers of a child under 18 who has a severe disability requiring permanent full-time care.

• SA citizen or permanent resident
• Child must have a severe mental or physical disability (medically confirmed)
• Child must be under 18
• Same income/asset limits as the Old Age Pension

If you already receive an Old Age, Disability, or War Veterans Grant but you need someone to look after you full-time because you cannot care for yourself, you can apply for an additional Grant-in-Aid.

• Already receiving an Old Age, Disability, or War Veterans Grant
• Medically confirmed that you need full-time care from another person

You can grow food in almost anything that holds soil: old car tyres, 5L cooldrink bottles cut in half, black plastic buckets, old pots, or bags of soil with holes cut in the bottom.

• Tyres: Stack 2–3, fill with soil and compost. Perfect for spinach, tomatoes, and potatoes.
• 5L bottles: Cut in half, add drainage holes. Great for herbs, lettuce, and spring onions.
• Window sill: Any sunny window — herbs (parsley, chives, coriander), spring onions, and lettuce grow happily indoors.
• Black plastic bags: Fill with soil + compost. Cheap and effective for spinach and kale.

You don't need to buy fertiliser. Kitchen waste makes excellent compost. Start a compost pile or bucket with:

• Vegetable peelings and fruit scraps (not meat or dairy)
• Egg shells (great for calcium)
• Tea bags and coffee grounds
• Dry leaves and cardboard torn into small pieces

Turn it every week, keep it slightly moist, and in 6–8 weeks you have free, rich compost. Mix 1 part compost to 3 parts soil when planting.

SA is a water-scarce country. Growing food doesn't have to mean a big water bill.

• Water in the morning or evening — not midday. Less evaporation.
• Mulch around plants with dry leaves or grass cuttings — keeps moisture in soil.
• Reuse grey water (dishwashing water without bleach) on non-edible parts of plants.
• Collect rainwater in a bucket or drum during rain season.
• Containers dry out faster than ground — check daily in hot weather.

You don't need expensive pesticides. These natural methods work well in SA home gardens:

• Aphids/whitefly: Spray with diluted dishwashing liquid and water (1 tsp per 1L).
• Caterpillars: Pick them off by hand in the morning, or plant marigolds nearby as a repellent.
• Snails and slugs: Crush egg shells around plants — slugs won't cross the sharp edges.
• Ants farming aphids: Sprinkle cinnamon at the base of containers — ants hate it.