How the price of DStv, petrol, and a Big Mac changed in South Africa

The prices of many popular products, such as DStv, petrol, and Big Macs, have increased significantly in South Africa over the last decade.

South Africa has had a turbulent ten years, with big political changes, lacklustre economic growth, and a highly volatile currency.

Households have been under significant financial pressure in recent years, with unemployment rising and inflation eating into people’s budgets.

High interest rates, which reached the highest levels in 15 years, have caused additional pain for South African consumers.

FinMark Trust’s annual FinScope Consumer South Africa index revealed that the rising cost of living significantly impacted South African households’ wallets.

The survey found that food costs consume approximately one-third of South African residents’ income, and rising costs weigh heavily on consumers’ budgets.

Last year, Standard Bank revealed that nearly half of South Africans who earn a salary are left with less than R1,000 or have negative balances by payday.

This indicates just how much pressure South African consumers are under, with elevated interest rates and a rising cost of living eroding their disposable income.

Richer South Africans have not been spared, with emerging middle-income earners being the highest percentage of customers with less than R1,000 or in the red.

One product that hurts South Africans’ pockets is petrol. The price of petrol increased from R10.78 in January 2015 to R21.34 in January 2025.

The significant increase was mainly due to the weaker rand, which made importing oil to make petrol and diesel much more expensive.

The much higher fuel prices have a knock-on effect in South Africa because most products are transported by road.

However, the higher prices were not only confined to food and physical products. It extended to entertainment services like DStv and Netflix.

On 1 January 2015, South Africans paid R665 for a DStv Premium package. Ten years later, the price increased to R929.

However, it is not all bad news. The price of mobile data and uncapped fibre products decreased significantly in South Africa.

In 2015, South Africans paid R449 for 10GB of mobile data on a contract. Ten years later, this price plummeted to R99.

The price of uncapped fibre products also declined significantly. In 2015, South Africans paid nearly R3,000 for a 100Mbps fibre connection. It is now well below R1,000.

How prices changed from 2015 to 2025 in South Africa

The table below shows how the prices of popular products in South Africa changed between 2015 and 2025.