Dakar: empty baskets march fuels growing anger over high living costs

The protest against the high cost of living reached a new level on Saturday in Dakar. Launched on social media, the “30 Days for the Right Price” campaign now plans to keep up the pressure as prices for goods, rents, and electricity continue to climb.

On 5 September, several dozen people took part in the “March of the Empty Baskets” in the Senegalese capital. The procession set off from the Castors neighbourhood and made its way to the Jet-d’Eau roundabout.

Demonstrators carried empty baskets, bowls, and kitchen utensils as a powerful symbol of the struggles households face in covering daily expenses. Their signs and chants highlighted three main grievances: the cost of food staples, housing rents, and electricity bills, with particular criticism aimed at the prepaid Woyofal electricity system.

A movement that grew online

The campaign first emerged on the internet days before the march. “30 Days for the Right Price” was started by consumers and content creators who denounce the rising cost of living and demand concrete measures to boost purchasing power.

Before the demonstration, the movement had already attracted more than 3,000 supporters, according to local reports. It also called for a gradual boycott of products considered overpriced. Influencer Bathie Drizzy, one of the co-founders, has been a key voice. After the march, he stressed the initiative’s non-political nature. “No political actor is behind us,” he said, explaining that the goal is to draw the authorities’ attention to the everyday hardships faced by ordinary people.

Rising prices fuel public anger

The campaign is rooted in very real concerns. For instance, the price of beef, once advertised at around 4,000 CFA francs per kilogram, has climbed to as much as 5,500 CFA francs in some markets. Mutton has reached up to 7,000 CFA francs at certain sellers. These figures come from local price surveys and do not represent an official national average.

But the discontent goes beyond food. Marchers also pointed to rent, electricity, and other monthly bills. This broadening of grievances gives the movement a wider scope than a simple protest over a few products.

Political pressure builds

Saturday’s march drew reactions from political figures, including Aldiouma Sow, described as an advisor to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. In a Facebook post, Sow sharply criticised the protest and urged young participants to focus on work. He also condemned what he called “populist messianism.”

His comments do not represent an official government position, but they signal that the movement is starting to provoke responses from within the presidential camp.

Meanwhile, the high cost of living continues to dominate Senegalese news headlines this Monday, 7 September, a sign that the issue now extends well beyond the weekend’s demonstration.

Organisers vow to keep going

The march was not intended as a one-off event. After the rally, the “30 Days for the Right Price” collective praised the turnout and announced that further actions are planned. The key question now is whether this campaign can sustain its momentum and secure concrete commitments from the government.

The authorities have recently listed purchasing power, prices, and rents among their top priorities. At a cabinet meeting on 2 September, ministers were asked to strengthen price-control measures and speed up rent regulation. The “empty baskets” protest thus comes at a time when street pressure and government announcements are converging on the same issue: the household budget.

A protest to watch closely

For now, the movement is mainly driven by ordinary citizens and social media actors. It is not yet a nationwide, structured political campaign. But its potential is clear: it touches on food, housing, electricity, and purchasing power—issues that affect a vast share of the population. Unlike typical political disputes, the “empty baskets” question is straightforward: what does daily life cost a Senegalese household today, and what can the government realistically do to make it more affordable?