For many South African parents, the start of a new school year brings more than excitement and fresh notebooks. It brings sticker shock. From blazers to shirts, socks and even basic stationery, school uniforms have become one of the biggest back-to-school expenses — and increasingly, parents are asking whether it really needs to be this expensive.

That question sits at the heart of a new investigation unpacked on HOT Business with Jeremy Maggs, powered by Standard Bank. It looks at how branded school uniforms, often sold through exclusive suppliers, are pushing prices far beyond what many families can afford — and why the problem has persisted for years despite repeated warnings.

Speaking to Jeremy Maggs, Competition Commission analyst Mpho Moate explains that while it’s difficult to pin down an exact rand value, the message from parents has been consistent. Complaints received by the Commission over more than a decade point to uniform prices that are “excessive”, particularly where schools limit parents to a single supplier.

Listen to the full interview on HOT Business below:

Those exclusive supply agreements, Moate says, are a major red flag. They reduce competition, limit choice and hit lower-income households the hardest. Since 2010, the Commission has received hundreds of complaints — and while many have been resolved, new ones keep coming in year after year.

The Commission has issued guidelines encouraging schools and governing bodies to allow more generic uniform items, appoint multiple suppliers and follow transparent procurement processes. But compliance has been uneven, and monitoring thousands of schools across the country remains a challenge.

That may soon change. As revealed in the interview, the Commission is developing a new monitoring tool, expected to be rolled out in 2026, alongside closer collaboration with the Department of Basic Education. And there’s a clear warning: schools and suppliers that continue to ignore the rules may soon face prosecution.

What does all this mean for parents right now — and what options do they actually have? That’s where the full conversation becomes essential listening.