“Daylight Robbery”: Gqeberha Man Shows How SA Snack Prices Exploded in 10 Years

• Nathan Naidoo from Gqeberha shared a video on 8 September 2026 comparing South African snack prices between 2016 and 2026
• The reel showed products like Pringles jumping from R19 to R90 and Nutella shooting up from R40 to R290 over the decade
• South Africans flooded the comments with disbelief, frustration and dark humour about the rising cost of everyday items

Nathan Naidoo, a Gqeberha-based content creator known on Instagram as @nate__za, stopped South Africans in their tracks on 8 September 2026. His reel comparing everyday snack prices from 2016 to 2026 struck a nerve with people across the country.

The video laid out the numbers plainly. A can of Pringles that cost R19 in 2016 now sits at R90. Nutella jumped from R40 to R290. Bakers Zoo Biscuits went from R15.50 to R59.99. A McDonald's Big Mac climbed from R29.50 to R70.90. Even a Cadbury Chomp, once a R1.50 pocket-money treat, now costs R8.

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SA snacks that were once affordable

For many South Africans, the numbers hit close to home. The prices Nathan highlighted reflect a broader pattern of food inflation that has quietly reshaped how households shop and what they allow themselves to enjoy. What were once everyday indulgences have become occasional luxuries or things people have cut out entirely.

Watch Nathan's reel that sparked the debate here.

Mzansi reacts to the price shock

South Africans in the comments section did not hold back on the Instagram page:

@__x__chantelle__x__ wrote:

"The zoo cookies and Pringles are daylight robbery 😢"

@luandri_lulu shared:

"I haven't lived in SA for 10 years now, and these prices make no sense to me looking at it... It's really hard to wrap my head around this. Is that really the price for Nutella???"

@fatimah_achmat added:

"Let's not forget the price and taste of pies, which also died in 2016. Did most things die then, or is it just me? 🤔"

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@shaneallon asked:

"And let me guess. Your salary is still the same?"

@rezo786 said:

"Salary then R20,000 vs now R10,000."

@vannar_photography wrote:

"I haven't had a can of Pringles in years; I don't want to take out a second mortgage. In any case, I can't justify spending close to R90 for what is essentially a packet of chips."

More on the rising cost of living and food

• Briefly News recently reported on a Gauteng pensioner whose R2,400 SASSA grant struggles to stretch to the end of every month amid rising food prices.
• A South African woman living in Dubai broke down the real upfront costs of renting a studio apartment, and the rand conversion left people stunned.
• A South African man in the UK whose reaction to cinema snack prices and flavours had Mzansi feeling all kinds of ways.

Source: Briefly News