HIGH potato prices are threatening to kill the kota business ekasi.
And kasi vendors are being choked by high prices.
Innocent Bila of INHO Fast Food in Diepkloof, Soweto, said they used to buy 10kg for between R30 and R40 at the Joburg Market and on the streets it would be about R50.
“But the last time I bought a bag of potatoes it cost R106,” he told Daily Sun yesterday.
He said he couldn’t cut out some ingredients from the kotas to make up for the higher prices because customers would run away.
Innocent said they were running at a loss because they had to pay workers and their monthly rent.
Mampe Moleleki of Ayeye Tuck Shop in Orlando West said since lockdown started, business had been down.
“Our boss had to cut our salaries to keep us all employed,” she said.
She said the potatoes had become very expensive.
“To cover the costs, we have to hike prices. A small box of chips was R10, but now we sell it for R15. Kota prices have also gone up by R2. Customers have been complaining, but there is little we can do. Potato prices are beyond our control,” she said.
Potatoes South Africa CEO Andre Jooste said prices in the sector were made on a daily basis, and this depended on demand and supply on the day.
“This year we had a very cold winter. Due to the cold winter there was frost so the crop produced was lower than usual.
“On average, from mid-June to date, prices were up by 46%. If you go to 12 October, the prices for medium to large potatoes was about R90.”
