How to save money while grocery shopping in Johannesburg
According to the most recent data from Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity (PMBEJD) group, the Joburg grocery basket increased by R7,58 (0,1%) month-on-month, and increased by R122,94 (2,2%) year-on-year, to R5 656,43 in July 2025. This is higher than the national average of R5 442.72.
The 2025 Household Affordability Index by PMBEJD tracks the prices of 44 basic foods from 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries in the different cities across the country.
Tips for saving on grocery shopping
Be savvy with your money
According to the Spend Trend Report 2024 by Discovery Bank and VISA, Joburgers are SA's biggest spenders. Be savvy with your money and choose to spend on essential food items than allocating a large sum of your money to junk food.
Compare prices from different stores
Johannesburg has many great grocery stores which run weekly specials. Avoid shopping at one grocery store because you might miss out on amazing deals offered elsewhere. As you go out and about, pop into grocery stores to see check out their prices and compare. The good thing is most stores share their specials online or through pamphlets, so you can compare prices before purchasing any item.
Take advantage of market deals
Cut the middle man and save! Farmer's markets in Johannesburg connect farmers to locals and fresh produce can be bought at a reasonable price. Check out our recommended markets - The 6 best markets in and around Johannesburg.
Have a budget
Having a budget and exercising discipline helps one to avoid unnecessary spending. Budgeting can also help address bad spending habits and help you keep track of your money.
Sign up for royalty rewards
Stores have loyalty programs where consumers can save a great deal.
Other stores give extra savings when items are purchased via their apps.
Support street vendors
There are many street vendors such as mama Agnes that sell ready-made food and fresh produce at affordable prices that can help you save on groceries.
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Eyes on the skies
Gaze skywards on any sunny day in Cape Town – especially in the summer, or when there's a game on at DHL Stadium – and chances are you'll hear the distant drone of a Piper Super Cub making its way slowly across the Mother City skies. And following not far behind: an advertising banner. The banner could be touting business for an (in)famous gentleman's club or a sports betting brand, estate agent or online retailer. Whoever might be hoping for your eyeballs, one thing's almost certain: you looked. Because in a world awash with transitory advertising, social media messaging and ceaseless input, there remains something nostalgic, arresting somehow, in spotting a plane that has slipped the surly bonds of Earth. Chances are, you'll look up and remember the brand. And while the announcement of new dancers may generate the most consideration (or condemnation) in Cape Town, it's certainly not the only brand buying into the world of high-flying advertising. It's a bright winter's morning when I pull into Cape Winelands Airport, just off the N1, to find out more. While a R7-billion investment is set to transform the airfield into a new air hub for Cape Town, today it's a low-key operation used mainly by flight schools, charter flights, private pilots... and a company called Sky Messaging. Sky Messaging is South Africa's only company dedicated solely to banner towing. It's been around since 2012 and has a fleet of aircraft towing advertising banners across the country. Most of the business is in Cape Town and Johannesburg, but they've also flown banners for the Bokke in Bloem', and plan on expansion to Durban later this year. 'Our core business is advertising; we just use aircraft as our medium,' says Brian Rothman, a qualified pilot who joined the company in its infancy. 'We meet strict Civil Aviation Authority requirements: all our pilots hold commercial licences, all flights are tracked, maintenance is logged, and we have regular safety and quality audits.' After more than a decade in business the core concept hasn't changed, but the banner technology certainly has. The original vinyl-letter setups – think of a giant sew-on fridge-magnet-alphabet in the sky – have given way to ripstop parachute material, allowing full-colour digitally printed designs that can handle Cape Town's legendary winds. And the banners are huge, I discover, as I watch Rothman and assistant Lihle Mtintsilana prepare a banner for take-off. Each banner is up to 30 metres long, and almost six metres tall, yet they weigh just 15 kilograms, including the aluminium lead pole that keeps the banner flying straight. The cost? 'Locally made banners cost around R60 000, but the top-of-the-range imported European banners can be more than twice that price,' says Rothman. Despite its size – an area of more than 170 square metres – launching the banner is a deceptively simple process. The banner is packed in a concertina fashion into a custom-built trailer, with an aluminium lead pole on small wheels. As the plane accelerates down the runway, the rope tightens, the banner unspools, and airflow keeps it aloft as the plane takes off. Landing is even easier, with the pilot simply releasing the banner to float down onto a taxiway, where it is collected and repacked. 'You never land with it attached,' Rothman explains. 'It's safer, and it protects the banner from damage.' While the banner technology has changed, the plane doing the towing certainly hasn't. The workhorse of Sky Messaging in Cape Town is a 1958 Piper Super Cub, with some 12 000 flying hours on the clock. 'It was originally fitted with a 150-horsepower engine, but we've upgraded it to 180hp for better performance, especially at altitude in Johannesburg,' says Rothman. Not that the banner pilots – all certified commercial pilots – are looking to break any speed records as they make their way around Cape Town. Sky Messaging tows its banners at a sedate 60 miles per hour (roughly 96km/h), with each flight lasting around two hours. 'That's a distance of around 200 kilometres per flight,' says Rothman. 'It allows us to cover most areas of Cape Town.' Routes vary from scenic loops around the Peninsula's suburbs, to targeted runs over specific areas, beaches, or events. With the airspace of Cape Town International to work around, air traffic control clearance is essential, and pilots operate under strict Civil Aviation Authority rules, complete with flight plans, GPS tracking, and safety audits. And then there's the weather. 'Wind is the big issue,' says Rothman. Cape Town's summer south-easter can ground flights, with pilots usually calling off the flight when the wind gets above 20 knots (37km/h). It's a world apart from placing a few AI-generated adverts online and tracking the clicks. Instead, says Rothman, banner-towing is about creating brand awareness and recognition, especially when this decidedly vintage approach is combined with social media. That's backed up by a diverse client list, including – 'They are our biggest client, especially in Johannesburg,' says Rothman – along with brands like Takealot, Remax, Cornetto, Mambos, and Brother Printers. Government departments have even used banners for road safety campaigns along the N1. Sky Messaging also used to tow the often-seen Maverick's banner too, but no longer. 'Flying has always had a certain romance. You notice it. Even if you only glance for a second, that image sticks. And when you link it to social media, it's huge. Footgear, for instance, ran a competition encouraging people to snap the banner and share it on social media for a prize,' says Rothman. 'The plane's location is trackable in real time, so you can tell people, 'Look up now!' It's interactive and memorable; something different from the constant online noise.' But for Rothman, one of the highlights has been flying 'Go Bokke' banners in formation during the Rugby World Cup celebrations, as the nation celebrated below. 'To be part of that, it's unforgettable,' he says. So next time you're stuck in traffic and you see that banner fluttering across the Cape skies, know that there's a decades-old aircraft out front, flying a little piece of advertising history. And if you look up and remember the brand it's proof, perhaps, that sometimes, looking up beats scrolling down.
Time Out
6 days ago
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How to save money while grocery shopping in Johannesburg
Hey Joburger, have you been feeling the pinch when it comes to grocery shopping? You are not alone! According to the most recent data from Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity (PMBEJD) group, the Joburg grocery basket increased by R7,58 (0,1%) month-on-month, and increased by R122,94 (2,2%) year-on-year, to R5 656,43 in July 2025. This is higher than the national average of R5 442.72. The 2025 Household Affordability Index by PMBEJD tracks the prices of 44 basic foods from 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries in the different cities across the country. Tips for saving on grocery shopping Be savvy with your money According to the Spend Trend Report 2024 by Discovery Bank and VISA, Joburgers are SA's biggest spenders. Be savvy with your money and choose to spend on essential food items than allocating a large sum of your money to junk food. Compare prices from different stores Johannesburg has many great grocery stores which run weekly specials. Avoid shopping at one grocery store because you might miss out on amazing deals offered elsewhere. As you go out and about, pop into grocery stores to see check out their prices and compare. The good thing is most stores share their specials online or through pamphlets, so you can compare prices before purchasing any item. Take advantage of market deals Cut the middle man and save! Farmer's markets in Johannesburg connect farmers to locals and fresh produce can be bought at a reasonable price. Check out our recommended markets - The 6 best markets in and around Johannesburg. Have a budget Having a budget and exercising discipline helps one to avoid unnecessary spending. Budgeting can also help address bad spending habits and help you keep track of your money. Sign up for royalty rewards Stores have loyalty programs where consumers can save a great deal. Other stores give extra savings when items are purchased via their apps. Support street vendors There are many street vendors such as mama Agnes that sell ready-made food and fresh produce at affordable prices that can help you save on groceries.
NBC News
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Travelers to the U.S. must pay a new $250 ‘visa integrity fee' — what to know
Visitors to the United States will need to pay a 'visa integrity fee,' according to a provision of the Trump administration's recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The fee applies to all visitors who need nonimmigrant visas to enter, and cannot be waived. However travelers may also be able to get the fees reimbursed, according to the provision. Details about the new requirement are scant, which has resulted in 'significant challenges and unanswered questions regarding implementation,' a spokesperson from the U.S. Travel Association told CNBC Travel. However, here is what is known thus far. How much is the fee? The fee will be at least $250 during the U.S. fiscal year 2025, which runs from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025. However, the secretary of Homeland Security is free to set the fee higher, according to the provision. Thereafter, the visa integrity fee will be adjusted for inflation. Who must pay the new fee? The 'visa integrity fee' applies to all visitors who need nonimmigrant visas, which includes tourists, business travelers and international students. When is the fee paid? The fee is paid when the visa is issued, according to the provision. Thus, visitors whose visa requests are denied will not be charged. Does the fee replace other visa fees? No, the provision states that the new fee is 'in addition to' other fees, including regular visa fees. 'For example, an H-1B worker already paying a $205 application fee may now expect to pay a total of $455 once this fee is in place,' Steven A. Brown, a partner at the Houston-based immigration law firm Reddy Neumann Brown PC, wrote in a post on his firm's website. Additionally, the fee must be paid on top of a 'Form I-94 fee,' which the One Big Beautiful Bill Act increased from $6 to $24. That fee must be paid by anyone who is required to submit a Form I-94 arrival and departure record, which applies to most travelers. How can travelers get reimbursed? To get their money back, visa holders must comply with the conditions of the visa, which includes 'not accept[ing] unauthorized employment,' and not overstay the visa validity date by more than five days, according to the provision. Reimbursements will be made after the travel visa expires, it says. What isn't known The fee has not yet been implemented, according to Brown. It is not clear when it will begin. 'I believe it would need a regulation, or at least a notice in the Federal Register, regarding implementation on collection,' said Brown. It is also unclear how travelers will pay the fee, the U.S. Travel Association told CNBC. 'The bill directs the DHS Secretary to charge the fee, but DHS does not own the visa application, issuance or renewal process — so where and when would DHS collect the fee?' the spokesperson said. In response to CNBC's enquires, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said: 'The visa integrity fee requires cross-agency coordination before implementation.' More questions surround how and when the reimbursement process kicks in. Since many visas are valid for several years, the U.S. Congressional Budget Office said it expects 'a small number of people would seek reimbursement.' Moreover, 'CBO expects that the Department of State would need several years to implement a process for providing reimbursements. On that basis, CBO estimates that enacting the provision would increase revenues and decrease the deficit by $28.9 billion over the 2025‑2034 period.' Brown said he is advising clients to treat the fee as nonrefundable. 'If you get it back, great. But it is usually difficult to get money back from the government,' he said. 'I would rather them view it as a 'bonus' if they get the refund.' The purpose of the fee 'President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill provides the necessary policies and resources to restore integrity in our nation's immigration system,' a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CNBC. Data shows most visa holders comply with their visa terms. For the fiscal years between 2016 and 2022, between 1%-2% of nonimmigrant visitors overstayed their visas in the United States, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service. However, an estimated 42% of the approximately 11 million unauthorized population living in the United States entered the country legally, but overstayed their period of admission, the data shows. Effect on incoming travelers Brown said the visa integrity fee will likely impact B visa holders — or leisure and business travelers — and international students more than other types of travelers. 'For B visa holders, they may not want to add an additional $250 per person to their trip costs,' he said. The new fee, plus the I-94 fee, come as the United States prepares to host several major events in 2026, including the 'America 250' celebration, in honor of the country's 250th anniversary, and parts of the FIFA World Cup. These hurdles are compounded by problems at Brand USA, the destination marketing organization that promotes inbound travel into the United States, which saw the One Big Beautiful Bill Act slash its funding from $100 million to $20 million. The cuts came after the U.S. Commerce Department fired nearly half of Brand USA's board members in April. In a statement, Fred Dixon, the organization's president and CEO, said it is 'disappointed' with the cuts yet hopeful that the funds will be restored for the fiscal year 2026. 'We remain focused on growing legitimate international inbound travel and the vital boost it provides to the U.S. economy,' he said. Ahead of the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman praised the bill's contributions to U.S. infrastructure, air traffic control and border security.
