Corporates are milking our shopping baskets

Having just returned from the UK, where I assisted an aged relative with shopping chores, I was shocked to discover how the prices of groceries, food items and clothing differ so vastly from South African prices.

Prices are much lower in the UK. I compared a number of common household groceries and prepared food items. This was at Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury's and so on.

In almost all cases I found that the items - even when converted at a horrendous rate of R18 to the pound - still worked out cheaper in the UK.

This can be validated easily by looking at the websites of these companies.

I cannot fathom how the average South African consumer pays more for food and groceries than someone in the UK.

My feeling is that we are being ripped off in South Africa through price collusions and lack of competition.

South Africans keep blaming the government for all that ails us, but perhaps we should be taking a closer look at the crooks in residence in our corporate boardrooms.