South Africa’s wine lovers hit by price hikes ahead of festive season
Beer drinkers are catching a small break, with prices rising only 3.5% annually, even recording a tiny monthly drop of 0.1%.
If you thought August’s sky-high meat prices were the end of the budget carnage, think again, Mzansi.
As the countdown to the festive season begins, the latest inflation data reveals that stocking your cooler box for those crucial summer celebrations is going to cost you considerably more, particularly if you favour a fancy vintage.
According to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) for September 2025, the overall annual inflation rate for the alcoholic beverages and tobacco group climbed by 4.2%.
This group contributed a steady 0.2 percentage points to the CPI headline annual rate in September 2025. While this figure may seem manageable compared to the painful 11.7% recorded for meat prices previously, the pressure is felt unevenly across different tipples.
The real strain is visible in specific categories.
Wine prices increased in September 2025
Wine drinkers, prepare for a shock: the index for wine saw an annual increase of 5.5%. Month-on-month, wine prices increased by 0.4% between August 2025 and September 2025.
Meanwhile, spirits and liqueurs saw a slightly milder annual spike of 3.9%. In stark contrast, beer drinkers are catching a small break, with prices rising only 3.5% annually, even recording a tiny monthly drop of 0.1%.
Geographically, consumers in areas like Limpopo are feeling the sharpest bite, where the overall annual inflation rate for alcoholic beverages and tobacco reached a whopping 6.7%.
With the festive season often demanding copious amounts of celebration cheer, this relentless upward trajectory means South African households must budget tighter than ever.