The braai brought many friends and family together this past December. South Africa’s favourite pastime is a staple of any holiday season, but it has become pricier over time.

Exactly how much pricier comes down to a matter of taste. What makes a braai so wonderful is that it can take many different forms and include a wide range of delicious food. Stats SA’s inflation basket contains many braai-related items. The graphic below narrows the scope to ten favourites, providing a flavour of how much heat is on the braai budget. A three-year overview of the data showcases interesting seasonal patterns.

First, the bad news. Beef rump steak recorded the sharpest price increase over this period. The average price for a kilogram of rump steak was R166,01 during the festive season in 2022. For a time, the price shifted lower before rising again in 2025. In December 2025, a rump steak sizzling on the grill would have set you back an average of R214,45. That is an eye-watering rise of 29% over the three years.

Maize meal (used to make pap) recorded the second highest increase (+20%), followed by tomato sauce (+16%) and pork chops (+13%).

On the brighter side, beer (330 ml), onions and lettuce were cheaper in December 2025 compared with December 2022. However, note the seasonal price fluctuations for onions and lettuce. Prices for onions generally dip early in the year and peak in June/July. Lettuce, on the other hand, is generally more expensive in the first half of the year.

Braai connoisseurs will immediately notice a glaring omission above, bordering on the criminal. What about boerewors? This must-have item does appear in the data but was previously categorised with sausages. It was then reclassified into its own category during the January 2025 update of the inflation basket.¹ Other braai-related items were added to the basket during this update, including garlic, butter and natural spices & herbs. Happily, no braai-related items were removed.

Each person handles a braai slightly differently, so the analysis above may not exactly reflect your own preference. The good news is that average price data exist for a wide variety of food and drink products. For more information, download the price data in Excel for December 2025 here.

The next consumer price index (CPI) statistical release will include data for January 2026 and will be published on 18 February. Keep an eye open for it on our website here.

¹ Stats SA. Stats SA reshuffles the inflation basket: What’s in and what’s out? [28 January 2025] (read here).

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