Pretoria: The Consumer Price Index (CPI), recognized as a measure of inflation, saw an increase of approximately 1.1% in April, bringing it to about 4%. This surge is primarily attributed to escalating fuel prices.
According to South African Government News Agency, this represents the highest inflation rate since August 2024, when it was recorded at 4.4%. Consumers faced a significant fuel price surge in April, with the index for fuel rising by 18.2% from March, marking the steepest monthly increase since the current CPI series began in 2008.
Petrol prices increased by 15.2%, while diesel saw a 35.4% rise. The cost of inland 93-octane petrol climbed from R20.19 per litre in March to R23.25 per litre in April, which is the fifth-largest increase for this grade in 50 years and the largest this century. Diesel prices experienced a notable jump, with the average price per litre rising from R21.28 in March to R28.80 in April, Stats SA reported.
Additionally, the passenger transport services index rose by approximately 3.1% between March and April, marking the largest monthly rise since July 2022. Following a 14.3% increase in March, air ticket prices surged by a further 24.5%, representing the largest monthly increase in airfares since March 2008, when prices rose by 32.4%, the statistical service noted.
In contrast, annual food and non-alcoholic beverages (NAB) inflation decelerated for the third consecutive month, decreasing from 3.6% in March to 2.9% in April. Meat prices experienced the largest decline, easing from 11.6% in March to 9.4% in April. Beef mince inflation slowed from 22.2% to 15.3%, and stewing beef from 22.6% to 8.7%. Pork inflation moderated from 19.5% to 17.7%.
The cereal products category recorded its third consecutive month of deflation, with five of the 19 items in the category being cheaper than a year ago. These include white rice, maize meal, porridge, basmati rice, and bread flour. Milk, other dairy products, and eggs saw their first annual increase since May 2025, with a rate of 0.1%, up from March's -0.5%. Powdered milk and eggs remain in deflationary territory, at -3.4% and -5.8% respectively, as highlighted by Stats SA.
The insurance index increased by approximately 1.3% due to a rise in medical aid contributions. Health insurance recorded a monthly rise of 1.8%, bringing the annual increase to 8.3%. Several medical schemes increased their contributions earlier in the year, with the remainder implementing new premiums in April, Stats SA noted.