A survey on food consumption patterns was conducted in an urban black community and a rural black community. Urban consumers tend to consume more bread, and less maize meal than rural consumers. Urban consumers consume more meat than poverty-stricken rural dwellers. The same is true with respect to fruit and ready-made foods. Both quality and price are important considerations for consumers' food purchases, particularly rural consumers. Price appears to be less important to the higher income (> R2000 per month) consumers in purchases of bread and meat, but rather important in vegetable purchases. Almost 60 per cent never consume food at away from home food establishments.