Money Desk
Boxer prices fell, but food inflation looms
Boxer Superstores reported a 2.4% average price decrease over six months, but the retailer warns that rising food inflation may soon return to South…
Boxer Superstores reported that its prices were, on average, 2.4% lower in the six months leading up to 30 August 2026, about R24 less on every R1,000 spent. The retailer released the results on Monday, 12 October, and says the savings may not last.
The figure covers all the products Boxer sells, not one fixed basket of groceries, so what a shopper saved depends on what they bought.
Boxer Price Trends
The price drops are getting smaller. Boxer prices were 3.1% lower on average in August 2026 and 2.1% lower in September 2026.
| Period | Item | Price change |
|---|---|---|
| Six months to 30 August 2026 | Boxer average | 2.4% lower |
| August 2026 | Boxer average | 3.1% lower |
| September 2026 | Boxer average | 2.1% lower |
| October 2026, against a year earlier | Maize at Boxer | 16% lower |
According to Investing.com’s summary of Boxer’s results slides, rice and flour prices had largely returned to last year’s levels by October, while maize was still 16% cheaper than a year earlier.
National and Fuel Pressures
Food and non-alcoholic drink prices across South Africa rose by 2% over the same six months.
Fuel prices also went up on 7 October 2026, making it more expensive to deliver goods to shops. The price of 95 petrol rose by R3.33 per litre, while diesel rose by R2.84 or R3.24 per litre, depending on the type.
| Item | Date or period | Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Food and non-alcoholic drinks | Six months to 30 August 2026 | 2% |
| 95 petrol | 7 October 2026 | R3.33/l |
| Diesel | 7 October 2026 | R2.84/l or R3.24/l, by type |
Higher Freight Costs Loom
The Road Freight Association warned that the cost of moving goods to shops could rise by between 4% and 6%.
On Boxer’s results call, chief executive Marek Masojada said suppliers had approached the supermarket in the past month or so, and that Boxer and its suppliers had covered much of the extra diesel cost themselves rather than charging shoppers more. He warned that they were getting close to having to add those costs to food prices, and said there were signs that diesel could become more expensive again in November.
Boxer had expected food prices to start rising slowly this financial year. That has not happened yet, but it still expects them to rise, later than it first thought. In May, Masojada said Boxer would try to keep prices steady for as long as possible, but that rising food prices were inevitable. The retailer has not said when prices will rise, which products will be affected or by how much.
