2024 Food price trends: global shifts, local impacts, and what’s ahead in 2025.

Loading player...
GUEST: Casey Sprake, Economist, Anchor Capital
In January 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations reported that its Global Food Price Index (FFPI), a key measure of global food commodity prices, averaged 124.9 points for the month. This represented a 1.6% decline compared to the revised December 2024 level, primarily driven by decreases in sugar, vegetable oil, and meat prices.
However, these declines were partially offset by rising prices in dairy products and cereals. Despite the monthly drop, the overall index remained 6.2% higher than in January 2024, reflecting persistent food price pressures over the past year. Nevertheless, food prices were still 22.0% lower than the peak recorded in March 2022, when global food markets faced extreme volatility due to supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions.
17 Feb 2025 1PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

IDC Swings to a FY Loss of R4.6bln on Subsidiary Pressure

The Industrial Development Corporation released its 2026 financial results, showing R17 billion disbursed, R28 billion mobilised in co‑funding, and R2.3 billion in Company-level profit, despite a challenging industrial environment marked by weak fixed investment, global trade uncertainty, and pressure on export-oriented sectors. There remains pressure at headline level as it…
27 Aug 1PM 13 min

Clicks Taps Into South Africa’s Township Economy

Clicks CEO Bertina Engelbrecht breaks down the launch of KwaMakhi a new township‑focused retail format designed for high‑density, lower‑income communities. She explains why Clicks is expanding beyond traditional malls, how KwaMakhi differs from standard stores, and what this means for healthcare access in areas like Alexandra, Soweto, Tembisa and Khayelitsha.
27 Aug 12PM 10 min

Grindrod’s Record Volumes & Rail Future: CEO Kwazi Mabaso on H1 2026

Grindrod CEO Kwazi Mabaso unpacks the Group’s strong interim performance — including record 8.4 million tonnes at the Port of Maputo, a 52% surge in EBITDA, and resilient drybulk throughput across SA terminals. We explore safety improvements, logistics challenges, locomotive redeployment, and major strategic projects like the Matola expansion and…
27 Aug 12PM 14 min

Real Salaries Lift — But Households Still Under Pressure

July brought rare relief as nominal net salaries edged up to R21,642 and real salaries improved for the first time in nine months. But with year‑to‑date salary growth at just 1.6% and real earnings still 2.2% below last year, households remain stretched. Elize Kruger breaks down wage trends, inflation dynamics,…
26 Aug 1PM 10 min

Inside Absa’s Tech Leap: AI, Speed & 99.97% Reliability

Absa’s digital transformation is delivering real‑world outcomes: SME account‑opening times have collapsed from two days to under 30 minutes, credit decisioning now takes just four hours, and AI is reshaping customer service, debt review and employee productivity. Johnson Idesoh unpacks how Absa achieved 99.97% availability, boosted Rewards membership by 430,000,…
26 Aug 12PM 15 min