In May 2025, Shoprite emerged as the most affordable retailer, with a total grocery basket cost of N$1,070.78, while Spar remained the priciest option at N$1,186.74 ,a N$115.96 difference for the exact same groceries.
This shift comes amid a notable basket update: starting May, the basket no longer reflects specific brands for certain products, instead the cheapest available items in each store was chosen, mimicking how budget-conscious consumers tend to shop.
Additionally, two new items , canned pilchards (400g) and canned corned meat (300g) — were added to the list. Fresh milk was replaced with long-life milk, beef stew with mince and white bread flour with vetkoek flour to better reflect consumer preferences.
Rank and total cost changes
| Store | May Total | April Total | Price Change | % Change | Rank Movement |
| Shoprite | N$1,070.78 | N$1,031.80 | +N$38.98 | +3.78% | ↑ 3 spots |
| Choppies | N$1,105.85 | N$1,020.80 | +N$85.05 | +8.33% | ↓ 1 spot |
| Checkers | N$1,122.79 | N$1,035.80 | +N$86.99 | +8.40% | ↑ 2 spots |
| Pick n Pay | N$1,154.78 | N$1,027.80 | +N$126.98 | +12.35% | ↓ 2 spots |
| Metro | N$1,160.78 | N$1,028.80 | +N$131.98 | +12.83% | ↓ 2 spots |
| OK Foods | N$1,178.78 | N$1,096.60 | +N$82.18 | +7.49% | ↔ No change |
| Spar | N$1,186.74 | N$1,113.16 | +N$73.58 | +6.61% | ↔ No change |
Key Insights
- Shoprite not only increased the least despite two new items being added to the grocery basket, but it also moved up 3 ranks and became the cheapest option after ranking fourth in April.
- Spar, despite a moderate increase of 6.61%, remained the most expensive, with a total cost N$115.96 higher than Shoprite, highlighting significant savings potential for consumers who compare prices.
- Pick n Pay and Metro both saw an approximate 12% increase in their total grocery basket cost, resulting in both of them going down two ranks.
- Even though for chicken and toilet paper the cheapest option in store was chosen, meat products, toilet paper and vegetables were some of the biggest drivers of price increases across all retailers.
What’s in our basket and which retailer offers the lowest price?
| Item | Price (N$) | Store |
| White bread | 12.99 | Metro |
| 2L Cooking Oiil (cheapest) | 64.99 | Choppies |
| 5kg Top Score Maize Meal | 68.99 | Shoprite and Checkers |
| 2.5kg White Sugar (cheapest) | 52.99 | Choppies |
| 1.5kg Chicken (cheapest) | 89.99 | Metro |
| Mince p/kg | 114.00 | Choppies |
| 2kg Tastic Rice | 44.99 | Shoprite |
| 3kg Polona Macaroni Pasta | 78.99 | Pick n Pay |
| 1L Long Life Full Cream Milk (cheapest) | 18.99 | Choppies |
| 9 Rolls 2-Ply Toilet Paper (cheapest) | 69.99 | Choppies |
| 750 ml Wellingtons Tomato Sauce | 27.99 | Shoprite |
| 2kg Sunlight Washing Powder | 57.99 | Checkers |
| 740ml Sunlight Dish Washing Liquid | 32.99 | Pick n Pay |
| 500g Rama Butter | 28.99 | Checkers |
| 18 Medium Eggs (cheapest) | 56.99 | Choppies |
| Bar of Soap (cheapest) | 9.99 | Spar |
| 100ml Aquafresh Toothpaste | 17.99 | Shoprite |
| 1kg Onions | 22.99 | Shoprite |
| 1kg Potatoes | 26.99 | Shoprite |
| 1kg Tomatoes | 32.99 | OK Foods |
| 400g Canned Pilchards (cheapest) | 26.99 | Metro and Checkers |
| 300g Corned Beef (cheapest) | 28.99 | Shoprite |
Our monthly grocery price survey helps you shop smart and save more. Stay tuned for next month’s update.
