Last week was a crazy week with some publications reporting that prices had gone up by 100% in Bulawayo. This week was more muted in terms of attention as people were occupied by the spiralling exchange rate on the black market.

This doesn’t mean prices didn’t go up. They did go up in most shops as business owners pursued the fleeing rate. It got so bad that some small grocery shops in downtown Harare were forced to close their doors and wait for sanity.

Grocery prices from our latest survey

ItemOKPick N PayChoppiesFoodWorld
All Purpose Cleaner 750ml13.4911.2913.6513.35
Bath soap Geisha 225g9.499.999.499.50
Bath soap image8.29nanana
Bath soap Jade 250g7.999.99na8.65
Beans Dried 500g9.908.999.4523.15
Bleach/Jik 500ml15.4916.7915.8523.80
Bread Baker's Inn9.459.459.309.30
Bread Lobelsnananana
Bread Proton9.459.459.309.30
Bread Shopnananana
Candles 6pack 300g12.9915.2911.7511.25
Cereal (Cerevita) 500g24.9925.9916.4915.90
Cooking Oil 2lna37.9935.9934.35
Creamer 1kg49.9948.99na42.85
Dish Washer 750ml14.8511.9910.6014.65
Drink Bally House18.9921.9922.5020.80
Drink Cheapest14.9917.9915.5015.65
Drink Mazoe 2l24.9519.9522.5020.55
Drink Mazoe less sugar14.9924.9921.4915.65
Eggs 3041.9943.99na40.30
Eggs 69.199.99na10.35
Flour 2kg26.9924.9924.7925.80
Green bar10.6912.4911.9912.05
Jam 375ml7.997.997.557.40
Kapenta 1KG66.9938.79nana
Kapenta 500g38.1036.9944.738.50
Lotion/Cream Camphor 300ml29.3929.9936.8534.55
Macaroni 3kg43.99nana58.70
Margarine 500g14.9913.99014.4914.49
Matches pack of 10 boxes3.955.995.006.40
Mayonnaise 750g22.9928.9925.8519.49
Mealie-meal 10kg42.7543.7943.7543.10
Mealie-meal Refined 10kg51.9947.9953.7552.80
Milk 1l8.999.9910.9911.40
Peanut butter 375ml10.9913.9910.7512.95
Petroleum Jelly 300ml34.9919.9920.7535.95
Rice white17.1524.9921.3020.85
Salt 1kg4.094.993.954.45
Sanitary Pads 10s10.999.9914.7510.25
Scouring powder 500g2.502.992.954.30
Soup Usavi Mix 50g2.852.892.852.80
Stasoft Refill (500ml)26.4532.99na25.99
Sugar 2kg19.8023.9924.4523.90
Surface Cleaner 500ml13.4911.2913.6513.35
Tea 100 tea bags19.9919.8923.9924.25
Thai Rice 2kg24.8925.9925.3025.95
Tinned beans 410g7.397.996.798.35
Tinned fish 155g7.756.298.60
Tissues (Pack of 4)11.2911.5911.6012.75
Toilet Cleaner 500ml16.4019.9918.2018.10
Toothpaste 100ml7.996.9913.298.15
Washing Powder 1kg23.9926.9924.5026.50
Washing Powder 2kg55.0053.9944.9955.05

Some things to note

  • We saw a lot of variations in the price of mealie-meal with prices approaching $60 in some shops
  • There was no cooking oil in OK, last week we saw them selling a brand we have never seen before
  • FoodWorld has been the most reliable when it comes to selling cooking oil. Their Raha brand is probably the cheapest on the market
  • Supermarkets are now becoming cheaper than the smaller downtown shops that demand cash
  • The downtown shops become even more expensive as they constantly pursue the rate and given the opportunity cost of getting cash. Some agents now demand as much as 60% when you want to cash out
  • OK sugar is still selling at old prices, the price of sugar went up. This is probably them still selling old stock. People are struggling and as we get into summer demand for sugar has fallen
  • While the price of peanut butter is going up the price for Jam has remained very low, this is probably a result of bread prices. Jam is good only for one thing, spreading it on bread while you can do a lot with peanut butter including putting it in your veggies (works if you don’t have cooking oil!) or in porridge as people find a substitute for that expensive bread

Meat prices

Due to other commitments we were not able to document our meat survey as we have been doing during other weeks but here are indicative prices/kg:

  • Tripe is selling for around $19.00
  • Casings $17.00
  • Commercial and Stewing Beef around $35.00
  • Commercial blade $39
  • Super blade $49.00
  • Chicken cuts $22.00
  • Wings $27.00

There wasn’t much movement in the price of vegetables although prices continue to creep upwards.