South Africa’s annual consumer price inflation increased to 4.5% in September, up from 4.4% in August, as higher transport and fuel costs continued to put pressure on households.
Statistics South Africa released the latest figures on Wednesday, highlighting the growing contribution of transport costs to the headline inflation rate.
Stats SA’s Patrick Kelly says transport inflation has been contributing increasingly to the overall rate since April.
Inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages also accelerated for the second consecutive month, rising to 1.2% in September from 1.1% in August and 0.9% in July.
However, meat inflation slowed to 0.7% in September, down from 1.5% the previous month. This marks the lowest annual meat inflation rate since March 2025, when it stood at 0.4%.
Stats SA says beef products are now cheaper than they were a year ago.
The inflation announcement comes as South Africans await Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement in Parliament on Wednesday, amid mounting concerns about the cost of living.
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa says rising fuel prices are largely driven by global factors, with countries worldwide grappling with the impact of higher international oil prices.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the 2026 Bana Pele Leadership Summit in Sandton on Monday, Ramaphosa said the government was considering possible measures to respond to the latest increases.
He recalled that the government had previously allocated approximately R24 billion to a fuel subsidy system when prices surged, but warned that such interventions require funding that could otherwise support other public programmes.
Ramaphosa said governments around the world were considering ways to ease the impact of rising fuel costs, with South Africa also assessing its options.
His remarks come as the Automobile Association warns that fuel prices could reach R40 a litre by the end of the year if international conflicts continue to push up oil prices and the government does not introduce further relief measures.
The latest inflation figures and fuel price concerns are expected to add to pressure on households already facing rising living costs.