South African consumers are feeling the pinch at the meat counter as oxtail prices have more than doubled in recent months, driven by ongoing restrictions on imports from Argentina, the country’s primary supplier of the popular cut. Retail prices have surged from approximately R79 per kilogram earlier this year to as high as R169 per kilogram, according to data from the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE).
The sharp increase reflects South Africa’s heavy reliance on imported oxtail to meet domestic demand. Argentina supplies about 70% of all oxtail imports, making any disruption to that supply chain particularly impactful. The current restrictions, which were introduced by the Department of Agriculture, have halted or severely curtailed imports, leaving local retailers scrambling to source alternative supplies at higher costs.
AMIE has formally requested that the Department of Agriculture provide the scientific evidence underpinning the revised import requirements, which the association argues are unnecessarily stringent and not based on sound risk assessments. “We are not opposing the need for biosecurity, but we need clarity on why these measures have been imposed and why they are so much stricter than those applied to other products,” said AMIE spokesperson Paul Mabe.
The price spike has been felt across the board, from upscale butcheries to township meat markets, where oxtail is a staple for stews and traditional dishes. Consumers have taken to social media to express frustration, with some lamenting that what was once an affordable cut has now become a luxury item.
The Department of Agriculture has yet to respond to AMIE’s request, but the impasse is likely to persist unless a resolution is reached. For now, South African households are left to digest the bitter taste of rising food costs—and the uncertainty of when, or if, oxtail will return to its former price point.
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