Stats SA: fuel, toasters and cell phones all cheaper in 2017

If you love eating pineapples while browsing the internet on your smartphone, you’ll love the latest batch of statistics from Stats SA.

The latest Consumer Price Index report suggests that South Africans are paying less for fruit, telecommunications services and telecommunications equipment when comparing January 2017’s prices to those from August 2017.

“Postal and telecommunication services, recreational equipment, fuel (petrol and diesel), hotels and appliances all experienced slight price decreases,” Stats SA wrote in a release.

Stats SA: telecommunications equipment prices have fallen by 36% since January 2014

“If you prefer using 93 octane petrol and you live inland, filling a 45 litre tank in August would have set you back R577 compared with the R589 it would have cost you in January.

“A savings of R12 might not seem like much, but for many of us, every cent counts!”

Falling prices: the good, the better, and the best #CPi #StatsSA https://t.co/WleYmk8GEh pic.twitter.com/RXwbebFTYT

— Stats SA (@StatsSA) October 9, 2017

Household appliances also dipped by 2.4%, while price decreases were noted specifically for “irons, kettles, toasters and washing machines”.

Telecommunications hardware however saw the greatest price drop.

“The price index for telecommunication equipment continued on its long-term download trend, falling by 8,6% in August compared with January. The average price for a cellular phone, for example, decreased by R82 from R2 622 in January 2017 to R2 540 in August 2017,” Stats SA noted.

“Since January 2014, overall prices for telecommunication equipment have fallen by 36%!”