“Things Are Expensive”: Mzansi Reacts as Woman Shows What R3K Buys From Checkers and Pick n Pay

A South African TikToker showed followers exactly what R3,000 bought her family from Checkers and Pick n Pay this month. Simphiwe_Home posted the TikTok video breaking down her monthly grocery haul, saying prices will keep rising. She told Mzansi the only option left is to shop smart.

Rands are shrinking and trolleys are feeling it

South Africa’s food inflation eased to 3.1% in March 2026 over the same month in the previous year, according to Trading Economics. However, it has it quickened to 4.0% in April. For families already stretched thin, even a small uptick hits hard at the till.

Basics like cooking oil, bread, dairy, and rice have been creeping up for months now. Households are making tougher choices with every visit to the shops. The squeeze is showing up in kitchens and conversations right across the country.

Simphiwe split her spending across both retailers and chased specials wherever she could find them. School snacks, oats, noodles, and everyday staples all made the cut after careful planning. Nothing in that trolley landed there by accident.

Read also

"Gatekeeping would be selfish": Joburg woman shares kitchenware and catering items plug in Jet Park

She was honest with her followers about where things stand. Prices are going up, and there is no running from that, she said. The only real option for most South African families right now is to be smarter about every rand spent.

Simphiwe speaks to Briefly News

Simphiwe told Briefly News that she sticks to Checkers and Pick n Pay specifically because their delivery apps are reliable, quick, and easy to navigate. She browses deals in advance, saves her favourite products in lists, and gets WhatsApp notifications from Checkers when specials drop.

She was candid about how much the budget has shifted.

"R2,500 used to be enough for the staples, but I've had to increase my budget."

Red meat has largely left the trolley, replaced with white meat and vegetables to keep costs down.

Going forward, she is planning meals before spending a single rand.

"I now buy based on meals I am actually planning to cook. This helps me reduce wastage by buying what actually matters."

Read also

"It's literally enough": Woman breaks down how she stretches R1,300 meat for 20 days, Mzansi is stunned

She is also stocking up on non-perishables like tinned pilchards to cut back on daily meat consumption.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

More grocery hauls

• A university student from Cape Town went viral after showing Mzansi exactly what R30 buys at a Bali corner store in Indonesia.
• Mzansi is in a frenzy after a TikToker dropped a massive beauty haul from Takealot’s House of Beauty event in Joburg.
• TikToker shows less than R2,500 grocery haul meant to last a month, which had many people online asking about whether it’s realistic in 2026.

Source: Briefly News