South African consumers are unhappy with the state of South African food due to the effects of load shedding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
PwC, in partnership with DataEQ, gauged the satisfaction levels of South African consumers in its South African Retail Sentiment Index, which tracked consumer sentiment across 1.5 million social media posts regarding the nation’s six largest grocery chains in 2022. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
PwC noted negative comments about food quality amidst the increase in load shedding and positive feedback on pricing campaigns due to the rise in inflation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In terms of food quality, retailers faced accusations of unethical behaviour due to the subpar quality, with health concerns regularly mentioned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The outlook for load shedding suggests that pressure on food supply chains \u2014 and, by implication, food quality and prices \u2014 will continue in the short term<\/strong>,” PwC said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “Experts at the Energy Council of South Africa said earlier this month that they have a stage 4-6 outlook for load-shedding towards the end of 2023 followed by a more positive view on 2024.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n Food production and retail sectors will thus remain highly dependent on diesel generators to mitigate the effects of load shedding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, the El Nino weather phenomenon, which results in drier conditions locally, could also exert pressure on prices, even if the El Nino is less severe than the one in 2015\/16. <\/p>\n\n\n\n