Residents in Durban townships say the cost of bread and other everyday essentials has risen sharply after South African-owned businesses took over several spaza shops previously run by foreign nationals.
Residents in Durban townships have expressed concern over rising prices of bread and other basic food items at spaza shops, taken over by South Africans
"We used to pay R20 for a loaf of bread, and now it's R30 since the foreign spaza shop owners left the area. Their shops were taken over by locals and suddenly, we're paying more for almost everything. When we argue with them and ask why they're charging more, they tell us to go back to the foreigners and buy it cheaper. They know we don't have a choice. We just have to pay more if we need those things now," said Zandile, a 37-year-old single mother from Chesterville, Durban.
Foreign-owned spaza shops have traditionally pooled their buying power to purchase goods in bulk, negotiate favourable prices with suppliers and operate on slim profit margins.
By contrast, many South African-owned spaza shops purchase goods individually, resulting in higher operating costs.
