With the sharp increase in fuel prices expected in April 2026, the entire value chain will once again raise their prices because of higher fuel costs. However, these same companies never lowered their prices in past years when fuel prices dropped.We have seen billions of rand paid out every year to shareholders and CEOs of these companies, while they live like kings.
Food retailers make millions, yet the reason they give is always “food quality”. Meanwhile, ordinary South Africans are working just to eat — many cannot afford good, nutritious food.Farmers remain price takers. When you compare what farmers are actually paid for their produce versus the final price on supermarket shelves, it becomes clear why these so-called management teams are paid such high salaries.On top of this, government and the minister’s attempts to control and interfere with our farmers create yet another serious problem.
What lies ahead for the rest of the year does not look good. The Reserve Bank did not lower interest rates, and in doing so, it is controlling and, in many ways, eroding the wealth of hardworking people. Corruption continues to run rampant, and ordinary citizens are left to bear the burden.
It often feels like some food companies and other corporations see the average person as nothing more than a cow to be milked dry. The people on the street are paying the price while the system and big business continue to profit.
The foot-and-mouth disease crisis in South Africa has reached a critical stage and is still not under control. Farmers and their livestock are suffering as a direct result of government interference in the management practices of commercial farmers — the most successful livestock producers globally who know best how to care for their animals.Time is running out fast. Many recent developments and policy decisions simply do not make sense and are putting South Africa’s red meat industry and food security at serious risk.
Bread and mieliepap (maize meal) are the most widely consumed staple foods in South Africa and across much of Africa. With sharply rising fuel prices and increasing input costs, farmers are expected to significantly increase their production — often by almost one ton per hectare — which is extremely difficult under current conditions. As a result, these basic foods will become considerably more expensive in the coming months. Despite this growing crisis, the government is still doing very little to address the problem.
We have too many unnecessary and often incompetent people in the food value chain who are being paid high salaries but add little or no value. This is one of the main reasons food is so expensive in South Africa.The corporate sector needs to take serious stock. They must dramatically improve productivity by streamlining the value chain and reducing the number of highly paid positions that do not contribute to actual production or efficiency.
Every single cost increase is simply passed on to the consumer to absorb. The greed of many companies in the food value chain is devastating and completely unacceptable.We need to protect our farmers. They are the actual producers of food. With all these rising costs and pressures, South Africa’s food security is now seriously at risk.
This greed is destroying the lives of ordinary South Africans, and it must stop.We need to speak our minds and confront this greed head-on. The days of treating these greedy executives with kid gloves are gone. We need unity- and need to support people who want to live and add value to our country.
