Consumers Spent Most Money On Groceries, Entertainment, Fuel And Food In Dec

Loading player...
Elize Kruger – Independent Analyst talks about The total spending by South African consumers in December reached R100-billion, while the volume of transactions reached 142-million, with 45-million transactions conducted at grocery stores and supermarkets, 12.8-million transactions at fuel service stations, eight-million at eateries and restaurants and 7.5-million at fast-food outlets.

However, in terms of value, consumers spent R26-billion at grocery stores and supermarkets, and spent R11.7-billion on betting, including lottery tickets, casino gambling and off-track betting. Consumers spent R9.2-billion at fuel service stations and R3.5-billion was spent at non-financial institutions, such as for foreign currency exchange and money orders, while consumers spent R3.1-billion at family clothing stores during December.

Payment clearing and reconciliation services company BankservAfrica’s Points-of-Sales transactional data showed how the spend varied among cost-conscious consumers, said BankservAfrica head of customer relations Solly Bellingan.


“Following the challenging year for the economy and households, our data show the total value of spending was only 7% higher than during the previous year, while the volumes had grown by 17%,” he noted.

Additionally, the amount of cash circulating in South Africa totalled R84-billion in December, according to BankservAfrica’s Integrated Cash Management Service data, which reflects the combined total of physical cash orders by commercial banks for their respective automatic teller machines and branch networks.

Despite the 6% decline in cash orders from the R89-billion in December, owing to the 19 working days in December 2022 compared to the 21 in December 2021, cash remained in high demand.

“One of the peak days was December 15, ahead of the Day of Reconciliation, with cash orders to the value of R8-billion placed. Further, cash orders worth R7.9-billion occurred on December 23, during the Christmas shopping rush,” said Bellingan.

BankservAfrica does not process interbank card transactions for all of the banks, which means that its data show only part of the fuller picture of the December transaction volumes and values. Further, the company does not monitor any transactions that take place between accounts at the same bank, he noted
31 Jan 2023 1PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

Surge in Fake Traffic Fine SMSes Prompts Warning from Fines SA.

GUEST: Barry Berman, CEO of Fines SA A growing wave of fake traffic fine SMSes is leaving South African motorists anxious, out of pocket, and still liable for legitimate fines. Barry Berman, CEO of Fines SA, unpacks the latest scam tactics being used by fraudsters who send urgent-looking messages claiming…
18 Dec 3PM 9 min

Crypto in 2025: The Year in Review.

GUEST: Christo de Wit, Country Manager at Luno As 2025 draws to a close, the cryptocurrency industry is no longer asking whether it belongs in mainstream finance, but how deeply it is already embedded. This year marked a decisive shift as digital assets moved from the fringes into the financial…
18 Dec 3PM 9 min

EKASINOMICS - How WASAA Is Reshaping South Africa’s Petrochemicals Sector

GUEST: Nokwanele Qonde – Founder & Managing Director, WASAA Group From LPG and logistics to chemicals, commodities and large-scale infrastructure, WASAA is quietly building one of South Africa’s most compelling black industrial success stories. In this conversation we unpack how a black-women owned petrochemicals company is driving growth through diversification…
17 Dec 2PM 26 min

Inflation Eases, But the Grocery Bill Tells a Different Story

GUEST: Johann Els – Old Mutual Group Chief Economist. South Africa’s inflation story is showing signs of relief but it’s not all good news for households. Headline consumer inflation slowed to 3.5% in November, its lowest reading in months, helped by falling fuel prices and a sharp drop in used…
17 Dec 2PM 27 min