Small town in the middle of nowhere has higher food prices than Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town
New research revealed that food prices in Springbok, a small town in the Northern Cape, are higher than in other towns and cities included in the study.
The research was conducted by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD), an organisation promoting justice, equity, and dignity for all.
PMBEJD’s Household Affordability Index in April 2026 compared the price of a basket of 44 food products in six cities and towns.
It revealed that the price of the food basket increased by R123.56 (2.3%) month-on-month to R5,452.09.
Of the 44 foods tracked in the basket, 30 increased in price in April 2024, and 14 decreased.
Foods in the basket which increased in price by 5% or more include onions, chicken feet, fish, tomatoes, carrots, green pepper, and bananas.
Other products which increased in price are rice, cooking oil, salt, potatoes, frozen chicken portions, soup, and full cream milk.
The price of Maas, chicken gizzards and livers, beef liver, beef, beef tripe, butternut, tinned pilchards, and white bread also rose.
The price increases were driven primarily by seasonal price fluctuations on some vegetables and fruit, meat and dairy.
The April 2026 Household Food Basket increase of 2.3% also suggested an early impact of increases in fuel prices on local food prices.
Foods in the basket which decreased in price include oranges, maize meal, curry powder, tea, apples, and peanut butter.
The graph below shows the total household food basket from April 2025 to April 2026.
Higher prices in Springbok than in all other cities and towns in the study
The Household Affordability Index compared the food basket price in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Mtubatuba, and Springbok.
Springbok is a town of the Namaqualand region in the northwest of the Northern Cape, nestled in a narrow valley.
It is surrounded by the high granite domes of the Klein Koperberge and serves as a lifeline for the vast, arid region around it.
The town, located roughly 570 km north of Cape Town on the N7 highway, is an essential stopover for people travelling to Namibia.
Because Namaqualand is so sparsely populated, Springbok serves as the major commercial district.
People from surrounding smaller towns, such as O’Kiep, Nababeep, Pofadder, Garies, and Port Nolloth, travel there to obtain their primary food and other supplies.
Springbok is, therefore, a good town to include in a food basket price comparison, as it represents an important rural area.
The study found that the basket price in Springbok was R5,863.27, well above the national average of R5,452.09.
The cost of the Springbok household food basket increased by R172.44 from R5,690.83 in March 2026 to R5,863.27 in April 2026.
Cape Town was the cheapest at R5,167.96, followed by Pietermaritzburg at R5,251.02 and Mtubatuba at R5,420.90.
The table below shows the cost of a household food basket in April 2026 in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Mtubatuba, and Springbok.
| Region | Cost |
| Cost of Cape Town Household Food Basket | R5,167.96 |
| Cost of Pietermaritzburg Household Food Basket | R5,251.02 |
| Cost of Mtubatuba Household Food Basket | R5,420.90 |
| Cost of Durban Household Food Basket | R5,427.24 |
| Cost of Johannesburg Household Food Basket | R5,664.94 |
| Cost of Springbok Household Food Basket | R5,863.27 |
| Average cost of Household Food Basket | R5,452.09 |
Springbok photos (courtesy of LB SA Historian)
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