On 7 October South Africa’s pensioners will have a new cheapest shop

When fuel prices rise on 7 October 2026 to record-breaking numbers, grocery shopping will change.

Retailers have been swallowing some of the cost of back-to-back diesel increases, but that’s quickly coming to an end.

Now, pensioners will have to include transport costs in their grocery budget.

The Cheapest Shop for Pensioners

South Africans frequently travel a few kilometres to get a good deal and buy in bulk.

An August analysis by The South African uncovered that Makro was the cheapest shop for pensioners.

That is still true today.

The retailer offers daily pensioner discounts and is between 8% and 15% cheaper than other retailers.

However, there are only 24 branches nationwide.

Unless pensioners live within stone-throwing distance of a Makro, getting to one and back is expensive.

How expensive?

Between R36.54 and R64.38 for a 30-kilometre round trip.

This is the cost for the most fuel-efficient cars that use between 4.2 and 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres.

If your car uses more, you’ll spend more going to a Makro.

Those using public transport can expect to spend the same travelling 30 kilometres.

With that in mind, pensioners will need to find a retailer with more branches.

Distance From Home	Cost to Travel (To and From)
10 kilometres	R24.36 – R42.92
15 kilometres	R36.54 – R64.38
20 kilometres	R48.72- R85.84
25 kilometres	R60.90 – R107.30
30 kilometres	R73.08 – R128.76

New Affordable Retailer for Pensioners

Based on current analysis, from 7 October 2026 onwards, Pick ‘n Pay will be the cheapest retailer for pensioners.

The analysis totals the cost of 5 common grocery and household items. These include:

• 2.5 kilograms of white sugar
• 2 kilograms of long-grain parboiled white rice
• 18 rolls of 2-ply toilet paper
• 7-kilogram pocket of potatoes
• 5-kilogram IQF mixed chicken portions

Pick ‘n Pay is the second-cheapest option.

Although it is 8% (R38.20) more expensive than Makro, the retailer has 285 supermarkets and 338 Boxer stores nationwide.

Pick ‘n Pay is also 3% (R33.99) cheaper than Shoprite and about 8% (R43) cheaper than Checkers based on this analysis.

Pensioners can increase their savings by getting double Smart Shopper points on Wednesday and loading custom discounts at the kiosk.

However, Pick ‘n Pay (or Boxer) won’t always be the cheapest option.

That depends on the nearest branch.

Pensioners can use a tool like the AA fuel calculator to determine how much they’ll spend travelling to the shop.

Then add that total to their grocery budget.

The takeaway is: the most affordable shop for pensioners will ultimately be the closest one to their home.