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I thought it was mostly anxiety and conjecture that was causing Capetonians to fret over grocery store stock this week … until I tried to pop down to my local Woolies to get some bread and milk. I was forced to swallow my skepticism as rows and rows of empty shelves greeted me. In the end I left with nothing but my reusable bags.

Our supermarket shelves are starting to look as empty as the government’s promises surrounding the ongoing taxi strikes.

Bruce Whitfield of CapeTalk’s money show backed up my experience as well as many other South African’s fears over food shortages this week as he spoke to Zinhle Tyikwe, CEO of the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa.

Many people have also noticed shorter windows to get shopping done, as workers struggle to make shifts for fear of their lives.

“There is a potential impact on food security the longer the strike, and it’s going to be difficult for all consumers as well as our members to continue trading… We have to limit our trading hours because we have to make sure that we secure the stores as well as distribution centres from any possibility of any criminality that could take place,” Tyikwe explained.

While this is a serious issue on the ground that we’ve already started seeing play out, it’s also a huge knock for the ‘bigger picture’ of SA’s economy. Tyikwe added:

“We’re already struggling with employment and economic growth, and if any of our provinces is not able to operate and trade normally it has an impact on our growth as well as the economy.”

The Consumer Goods Council is in contact with law enforcement through their Consumer Goods Crime Risk Initiative (CGCRI) and are trying to identify and communicate retail hotspots that may need additional support and protection.

And let’s be real, it’s a privilege to be able to complain about the local Woolies when many of our Cape Town brothers and sisters are facing bullets and flames in real-time. But it’s a shocking throwback to our experiences of COVID-19 lockdown that has Capetonians shaking in our boots.

Local comedian Phil de Lange captured the irony and anxiety of it all in a parody TikTok where he bemoaned not being able to buy his “hummus” or “bagel”.

@phildelange I just want you all to know I’m just playing around. The Woolies is just about empty owing to a knock on effect of the strikes though. #CapeTown #taxistrike #capetownstrike ♬ original sound – Phil de Lange

While de Lange may have provided us with a little giggle during a scary time, it’s not just Woolies moms who are unable to do their grocery shopping. A local man named Shaaqir also took to TikTok to show his futile attempts to pick up a loaf of bread at his neighbourhood Checkers.

@mokarriem No bread on the shelves at any of the stores. #SAstrike #strike #nobread #emptyshelves #taxistrike #fypシ #fypシ゚viral #SAMA28 ♬ original sound – Shaaqir

As the taxi strikes continue, it’s hard to know how long we’ll be living off the almost-expired baked beans and stale rice stashed at the back of our pantries.

[source:capetalk]