It’s not load shedding. It’s not a toilet paper panic. But yes – something else has quietly vanished from South African supermarket shelves… and it’s vinegar. That unassuming kitchen essential you drizzle over your slap chips, splash into sauces, or use to clean just about anything? Missing in action.

So what gives?

Speaking to HOT Business with Jeremy Maggs, powered by Standard Bank, Louis Opperman – Head of Commercial at Jumbo Brands and one of South Africa’s key vinegar producers – unpacked how a combination of global shipping delays, raw material price hikes, and local manufacturing hiccups has created the perfect storm, leading to a nationwide vinegar shortage and price hikes of over 30% in some cases.

Even more surprising? South Africa only has two major producers of fermented vinegar — and one has suspended operations. The result? A scramble to import raw vinegar and switch to “imitation” versions to keep things flowing.

But before you turn up your nose at the word “imitation,” Louis insists there’s no need to panic. “It’s chemically identical in terms of acidity,” he explains. “You’re just getting there via a different route.” (And yes — it still works on slap chips!)

From factories and restaurants to the bottles on your pantry shelf, the ripple effect is real. And while supply is slowly stabilising, it’s revealed a bigger issue: why are we importing raw materials for something we could be producing right here at home?

Curious about how it all unfolded – and whether your next batch of pickles will survive the vinegar drought?

Listen to the full interview on HOT Business with Jeremy Maggs: