Woolworths faces meat, vegetable shortages amid supplier issues and heavy rain

After South African comedian Rory Pezter shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) about the alarming shortage of meat on Woolworths' shelves, the retailer promptly acknowledged the issue.

Pezter described the scene as "apocalyptic" in his tweet.

In response, Woolworths commented, "Hi Rory, we're aware of a supplier issue that has meant less stock of our meat on shelves. It's a top priority to get supply back to normal, and we are very sorry for the impact this has had on you and your shopping trips, please bear with us - we're working on it."

Shortages

In a News24 report, the retailer said it is facing temporary shortages of fresh produce and red meat in some of its stores, particularly in Gauteng. 

The shortages were attributed to heavy rains and supplier issues.

Woolworths stated that the supply of fresh produce, including items such as lettuce, spinach, and cauliflower, has been significantly affected by the heavy rains in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

The retailer said it was working hard to source produce from alternative regions. It hoped to see the shortages rectified over the next week. 

In terms of the red meat shortage, Woolworths said it was due to a supplier-related issue that impacted product levels on its shelves.

Woolworths said their supplier is in the process of resolving this, and the retailer is confident that the supply will be back to normal. 

Complaints from customers

South Africans have taken to X to voice their complaints about the shortages they have seen at Woolworths. 

Here are some of the complaints:

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