South Africa recorded a slight increase in annual consumer inflation to 3.1 per cent in March, up from 3.0 per cent in February 2026, according to Statistics South Africa on Wednesday, April 22.
The uptick was driven mainly by higher costs in housing and utilities, food and non-alcoholic beverages, and financial services, with prices rising 0.6 per cent month-on-month. Six of the 13 spending categories recorded increases, including education, transport and recreation.
Education remained a key inflationary pressure, with tuition fees rising by 5.4 per cent in 2026, led by private education at 7.5 per cent. Transport prices, while still lower than a year earlier, showed a slower rate of decline, reflecting moderating fuel price effects.
Food inflation continued to ease, dropping to 3.6 per cent in March, with several categories—such as dairy, cereals, fruits and vegetables—remaining in deflation. Dairy products recorded a tenth consecutive month of price declines. Meanwhile, goods inflation slowed slightly to 1.8 per cent, while services inflation accelerated to 4.2 per cent, signalling sustained pressure in the services sector.