“Excuse To Go Hunting”: Mzansi Reacts After Biltong Prices Leave Shoppers Stunned

• A Reddit user named Richard_za started a debate online after posting pictures of steep Spar and Checkers biltong prices
• One picture in the post showed game chilli sticks priced at R599.99 per kilogram at a biltong counter
• Commenters compared these prices to cheaper local butchers, some paying almost half the price for biltong

South African shoppers are stunned over soaring biltong prices trending on Reddit. Reddit user Richard_za posted a picture online on 28 July 2026.

The post showed a price tag of R599 per kilogram at a major retailer. Shoppers across South Africa quickly shared their own frustrations in the comments.

One of the photos in the post showed game chilli sticks priced at R599.99 per kilogram. Regular chilli sticks at the same counter were priced the same.

Honey bacon flavoured biltong on that counter was listed slightly cheaper, at R499.99 per kilogram. Shoppers say prices like these are becoming the new normal.

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Many said they had noticed biltong creeping up for months. One commenter said their favourite off-cuts jumped from R60 to R90 almost overnight.

Another compared retail prices to a local Joburg butcher. They said they could buy 1.5kg there for R440, working out much cheaper per kilogram.

Why is biltong so pricey right now?

One commenter tried to break down the maths behind the increase. They said raw beef currently trades at around R200 per kilogram in bulk.

Retail silverside was closer to R130 to R150 per kilogram, the commenter added. Making biltong at home would still cost roughly R450 per kilogram once dried.

Biltong naturally loses a large amount of weight during drying. That means sellers need much more raw meat than the final dried product.

Game meat products, like the chilli sticks pictured, often cost even more. Game meat is generally pricier than beef, pushing those prices higher still.

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Some shoppers said retail prices still were not the worst around. They pointed out that Woolworths currently charges over R1,000 per kilogram for biltong sticks.

One commenter joked the high prices had given them a new excuse. They said rising biltong costs might finally push them to start hunting.

See the post here.

More about biltong

• Content creator Bucky Wild Child’s Instagram video of a South African-owned biltong store in Texas went viral in June 2026.
• An American woman with roots in South Africa pulled out a packet of biltong on a US beach and filmed her friend trying it for the very first time.
• An American man showed people that he was excited to try South African food.

Source: Briefly News