If you have shopped at any grocery store lately, you probably noticed the receipt total is higher than it has been throughout the pandemic.
Thanks to the seemingly never-ending supply chain problems, plus inflation hitting record highs, major food companies have increased the prices of their beloved goods, which means you have been paying more.
Joining in is spice and seasoning brand Gorima’s which has recently taken to social media to announce that it is increasing its prices with immediate effect due to the increase in chilli prices from India, exchange rate volatility, shipping rates, and fuel price increase.
“To all our valued customers.
First, we would like to thank all of you for staying loyal and supporting us. As much as we would like to maintain our prices, we need to keep up with the rising costs of importing supplies and the rand or dollar exchange rates. In this regard, there will be a price increase effective immediately. This is something we must do in order to continue to provide you with the quality products and service you have come to expect.
Thank you for your understanding and continuous support,” they wrote.
South African consumers have been warned to brace for even higher prices this year as global supply chain backlogs are showing no signs of easing and are likely to worsen for the rest of the year.
This comes as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) earlier this month said that world food prices jumped 12.6 percent in March to a new record high, largely driven by conflict-related export disruptions from the Russia-Ukraine war.
According to IOL, Cargo Compass, a South African freight, logistics, and warehousing company that operates worldwide, said goods prices would also rise sharply in South Africa as supply chain bottlenecks were here to stay for 2022.
Chief executive Sebastiano Lorio said at the start of the year that they were hopeful trade bottlenecks would ease this year, but they seem to be getting even more severe, they reported.
“Prices of consumer goods like electronics and clothing, including imported basic food products, are certainly going to keep rising,” said Lorio according to the news site.