Zuko Komisa
- March 2026 saw a slight rise from February’s 3.0%, driven largely by higher costs in education and rental housing.
- Tuition fees increased by 5.4%, while quarterly rental growth was led by townhouses at 5.1% and flats at 4.2%.
- Continued deflation in fuel prices and staples like dairy and cereals helped moderate the overall inflationary climb.
The latest data from Statistics South Africa reveals that the annual cost of living rose to 3.1% in March 2026, up from 3.0% in February. On a monthly basis, prices increased by an average of 0.6%.
Kaya Biz spoke to Patrick Kelly, Chief Director of Price Statistics, who highlighted that six out of thirteen CPI categories saw annual increases, with the most significant pressure coming from the education, housing, and hospitality sectors.
Listen to the full conversation here:
Education costs, surveyed annually in March, rose by 5.4% compared to 4.5% in 2025. Private secondary schools saw the sharpest hike at 7.5%, while tertiary fees grew by 4.2%.
In the property sector, actual rents increased by 4.0% in the first quarter of 2026. University boarding fees and hotel rates also surged, pushing accommodation inflation to an annual rate of 12.2%.
Food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation slowed to 3.6%, with dairy, cereals, and vegetables remaining in deflationary territory.
While meat inflation remains high at 11.6%, beef prices moderated significantly; for instance, steak inflation dropped from 28.6% to 24.1%. Conversely, pork and bacon prices rose, bucking the general trend of cooling food costs.
The transport sector recorded -1.6% deflation, primarily due to fuel prices falling 8.7% over the year.
However, this data excludes the sharp fuel price hikes introduced on 1 April, the impact of which will only be visible in the April CPI report due on 20 May. Regionally, the Eastern Cape saw the lowest annual inflation at 2.1%.
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The post The 3.1% shift: Why the cost of living is creeping upwards appeared first on KAYA 959.
