Consumer inflation jumped to 4,0% in April, up from 3,1% in March.
Patrick Kelly, Chief Director for Price Statistics, at Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) said the jump was driven by sharp fuel price increases.
“This is the highest inflation print since August 2024, when the headline rate was 4,4%. The monthly change in the consumer price index (CPI) was 1,1% in April” he said.
The index for fuel rose sharply by 18,2%.
This is the steepest it has been since the beginning of the current CPI series, in 2008.
Kelly said petrol prices were up by 15,2% and diesel by 35,4%.
The price for air tickets also rose by 24,5% in March, making it the largest airfare increase since 2008.
But the annual inflation for food and beverages decreased to 2,9% in April, down from 3,6% three months ago.
This is largely to a decline in meat by at least 4%, down to 9,4% in April from 11% in March.
Stewing beef had the harshest fall from 22,6% to 8,7%.
Picture: Reliance Insurance Brokers