South Africa’s annual consumer price inflation slowed to 4.3% in July, marking the first decline in five months and providing some relief to consumers.
Statistics South Africa says inflation fell from 5% in June, while the monthly increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) eased to 0.2% from 0.7% in the previous month.
Patrick Kelly, Chief Director for Price Statistics, attributed the slowdown to softer food inflation, smaller municipal tariff increases and lower fuel prices.
Food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation fell to 0.9% in July, its lowest level since June 2010, when it stood at 0.7%.
Kelly said the decline was largely driven by lower inflation in cereal products and meat.
Cereal product prices recorded an annual decline of 2%, compared with a 1.5% decrease in June. Meanwhile, annual meat inflation dropped sharply to 1.5% from 5.1% in June.
Municipal tariffs also recorded smaller increases compared with the previous year. Electricity prices rose by 8.1% in 2026, down from a 10.4% increase in 2025.
Water tariffs increased by 10.2%, compared with 12.1% in the previous year.
Transport inflation also eased significantly, falling to 8.9% in July from 12.9% in June, following a decline in fuel prices.
The latest figures indicate that price pressures are beginning to moderate, particularly in key household expenditure categories such as food, transport and utilities.