JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's consumer price inflation eased to 3.5 percent in January, down from 3.6 percent in December 2025, according to data released by Statistics South Africa on Wednesday.

The moderation was driven by stable food prices and lower fuel costs. On a monthly basis, the consumer price index (CPI) edged up 0.2 percent, unchanged from December 2025.

Food inflation held steady at 4.4 percent, while cereal products slowed markedly to 0.6 percent from 2.1 percent. However, rising meat prices exerted upward pressure, with beef products recording some of the sharpest increases among 391 products in the CPI basket. The beef steak surged 31.2 percent, while the stewing beef and the beef mince rose 30.3 percent and 28 percent, respectively.

The fuel index declined by 3.7 percent year-on-year in January, and on a monthly basis, petrol prices fell by 3.1 percent, while diesel dropped by 5.4 percent. The price of inland 95-octane petrol averaged 20.75 rand (about 1.3 U.S. dollars) per liter in January, the lowest level since February 2022, when it stood at 20.14 rand.

January's inflation rate remains within the 3 to 6 percent target range set by the South African Reserve Bank, supporting expectations of continued monetary policy stability. ■