#SHSI S2 Episode 20 - Why Does Chicken Cost So Much in South Africa? The Full Story #ChickenTax

Every week, South Africa slaughters 23 million chickens. The country is the second most technically efficient poultry producer in the world. So why does a 2kg bag of frozen chicken cost nearly R101 per kilogram — and why are millions of children going hungry for protein?In this video essay, we unpack the full story behind the price of chicken in South Africa — from the global production battle between Brazil, the US, and local giants like Astral Foods and Rainbow Chicken, to the tariff wars, anti-dumping duties, and diplomatic trade-offs that quietly inflate every price sticker in the frozen food aisle.We look at who really controls South Africa's chicken market, what the numbers say about dumping versus monopoly protection, why the US isn't even using its own import quota, and why a country that produces world-class chicken still can't put a single meat product on its zero-rated VAT food list after 25 years.This is not just a story about chicken. It is a story about who gets protected in this economy — and who pays for that protection.