The traditional Christmas festive tables may miss the star of the meal: the much celebrated turkey.
But it will also depend on where customers prefer to buy the bird.
One of the country’s major retailers, Woolworths, has put up notices on refrigerators in some stores in Cape Town notifying customers that it wouldn’t be able to supply frozen turkey this Christmas period due to the outbreak of avian flu.
Frozen turkey is mostly imported from countries such as the US and the outbreak of avian flu there led to a shortage of the bird during Thanksgiving celebrations in most countries.
The USA’s Department of Agriculture warned in October that due to the outbreak, more than six million turkeys had died, causing shortages for the rest of 2022 and the first half of 2023.
Woolworths confirmed the shortage of turkey at its stores.
"Due to our quality standards, supplier shortages and the impact of avian flu, we are unfortunately not able to offer whole frozen turkeys this festive season," said the retailer.
However, other supermarket chain stores like Checkers and Pick n Pay said they had just received stocks in time for Christmas.
"Turkey supplies have been impacted by import delays. However, stock distribution is currently under way and approximately 75% of Shoprite and Checkers stores have already received their festive season stock.
"Consumers can rest assured that all Shoprite and Checkers stores will have received their festive season turkey stock by the end of next week," said Checkers.
Pick n Pay also said most of its stores were already stocking turkey and by next week, all stores would have them in stock.
"Turkey is very popular at Christmas and as they are not locally produced we import them for our customers to enjoy," said a statement released by Pick n Pay.
Both Pick n Pay and Checkers stores at major shopping malls confirmed that they had stock of frozen butter-brine based turkey, selling between R77.99 and R79.99 per kilogram.
For those whose alternative was turducken, the boneless turkey stuffed with boneless duck and chicken, most retailers had discontinued it due to a "significant decreased demand".
But all the retailers offered some solutions, in case some shoppers were hit by the shortage.
Woolworths offered turkey roast with a butter brine-based blend, stuffed savoury turkey breasts also with a butter brine-based blend and rotisserie turkey available at limited stores in Cape Town, Plettenberg, Knysna, Somerset West and Johannesburg.
Checkers offered a limited three-bird roast made up of whole deboned duck, stuffed with deboned chicken and ostrich.
However, AgriSA said the Christmas festive season was also an opportunity to support the local poultry industry which offered products that could take centre stage at the table.
"In the absence of turkey we urge locals to support the poultry industry so it can continue to create jobs and contribute to economic development," urged AgriSA’s executive director, Christo van der Rheede.