This retailer comes out on top in SA's grocery price war

Updated July 28, 2025, 3:32 a.m. | By East Coast Breakfast

Here’s which retailer is offering the best deals on groceries, according to a recent price study.

If you're looking to save some rands on your groceries, you've come to the right place!

A recent study by BusinessTech compared prices across South Africa's top seven retailers and found that Makro is the clear winner when it comes to affordability.

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The study looked at the prices of a basket of nine essential items, including bread, sunflower oil, maize meal, sugar, milk, rice, cake flour, soap and toilet paper.

The results are pretty impressive - Makro's basket of goods came in at R367.60. This is a whopping R72.31 less than Woolworths (the most expensive retailer) and R60.31 less than Pick n Pay.

The average cost of the basket across all retailers was R415.84, which is only a tiny increase from last year. Shoprite did manage to shave off a few rands, with their basket priced at R419.91, R1.00 less than in 2024.

Now, it's worth noting that the study used prices from retailers in Gauteng and only looked at normal prices, not limited-time specials. The specific brands used were chosen for consistency and recognisability but this might not always be the absolute cheapest option.

Prices can also vary depending on the region and store and some franchises like Spar might have different prices at different locations.

The good news is that you can often find cheaper alternatives by opting for non-branded or store-brand products.

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