South Africa

The commodities country overview provides comprehensive data on production, consumption and price trends on key commodities markets. The commodities overview in South Africa covers production and consumption trends in agricultural commodities, energy…

Wine in South Africa witnessed challenges amid harsh environmental impacts in 2023. As a result, there was a smaller harvest by local grape producers. However, forecasts for crops are positive, although lower than yields when measured against the…

White spirits in South Africa, as epitomised by gin and vodka, continued to record positive growth in 2023. Gordon’s Dry Gin aims to regain lost ground in gin by introducing two new flavours. Sunset Orange and Pink Berry have joined its other…

RTDs in South Africa continued to perform well in 2023, driven by the popularity of convenient, pre-mixed drinks and the re-emergence of a cocktail culture. The popularity for mixing beverages has been sustained due to the rising affordability of…

Cider/perry in South Africa witnessed intensified competition in 2023 from other categories, driven by solid growth, marketing and the development by leading players and newer entrants. For example, Brutal Fruit, known for its RTD offer, has been…

Emerging flavoured non alcoholic beer in South Africa has been made popular and stimulated by Bavaria’s offering across a number of channels. Bavaria’s mango, apple, ginger lime and peach offer fruit-flavoured diversity in a space that is starting to…

Total volume growth of alcoholic drinks in South Africa was significantly slower in 2023 compared to the previous year, as the country grappled with a period of high inflation. As a result, alcoholic drinks manufacturers experienced increased…

Video games in South Africa continued to see strong growth in retail current value terms in 2023. Video games hardware saw the strongest increase, with the category continuing to benefit from the dynamic growth of the next-generation consoles…

Traditional toys and games in South Africa saw continued strong growth in retail current value terms in 2023. Although South Africa was plagued with economic pressures such as high inflation and the continued burden of nationwide power outages,…

In 2023, South Africa continued to experience high inflation, coupled with interest rate hikes, and constant power outages, which resulted in tough economic conditions and the erosion of consumers’ disposable incomes. This resulted in the costs of…

While retail volume growth of tobacco in South Africa notably slowed in 2023, current value sales continued to soar. The country experienced high inflation during the year, with the price of some household essentials growing by double digits,…

Dominating value sales of smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco in South Africa, e-vapour products continued to drive category growth in 2023. The increasing popularity of these alternative products is one of the factors driving…

Traditionally, shisha that incorporates the use of pipe tobacco in South Africa was marketed as safe, and made popular during social events due to a positive perception. It is a product that is fairly popular among the younger demographic. However,…

Despite the growing demand for e-vapour products, and the declining revenue and volumes of cigarettes in South Africa, the latter category continued to represent the largest value share within tobacco in 2023. In understanding this demographic, males…

Consumer Lifestyles offers valuable insights into key consumer attitudes and current thinking, and their impact on purchasing and consumption habits; quantifying behaviours, preferences and motivations, and aligning them with broader trends.

This report visually explores everyday habits and behaviours which reflect consumers' beliefs and values, linking behavioural trends with purchase and consumption habits.

Demand for sunglasses in South Africa was already declining prior to the pandemic. Following the steep drop in volume sales in 2020 due to lockdowns and lack of mobility, demand continues to gradually fall as South Africa’s economy struggles, forcing…

Spectacles in South Africa remains a highly lucrative category, and dominates value sales of overall eyewear in the country. As many South Africans continue to face economic hardship, they are being forced to review their budgets and spend more…

Demand for eyewear in South Africa continues to rise, despite the rising cost of living. Many local consumers are struggling financially and are prioritising certain goods over others. Additionally, South Africans are becoming more strategic in terms…

Demand for contact lenses and solutions in South Africa continues to rise, although in value terms, the category is considerably smaller compared to spectacles. Demand in the country is mainly driven by younger consumers. In South Africa, the wearing…

In 2023, sustainability remained a key focus for consumers in South Africa, leading to growing demand for homewares such as kitchen utensils and other items made from eco-friendly materials. Products such as bamboo utensils and reusable silicone food…

In 2023, value sales growth of home improvement in South Africa remained fairly flat, but some local consumers continued to be invest in their kitchens and bathrooms. Bathroom and kitchen renovations are some of the most popular as these are most…

Value sales of home furnishings in South Africa continued to rise in 2023. However, retailers have shifted to procuring more locally manufactured furniture following the high costs of shipping and supply chain delays. Local and global logistics…

Overall value sales of home and garden in South Africa continued to rise in 2023, despite prevailing economic challenges in the country significantly eroding consumers' disposable incomes. These challenges stemmed primarily from the persistent rise…

Sales of gardening hand tools in South Africa, such as sickles and weed pullers, continued to record current value growth in 2023. This can be attributed to the fact that gardening hand tools make tasks quicker and more efficient, enabling gardeners…

Demand for sun care in South Africa remained stable in 2023 compared to the previous year, but below pre-pandemic levels. This was due to greater competition from hybrid products that offer sun protection properties, thereby reducing the need to…

Since the pandemic, consumers have increasingly focused on skin care in South Africa as part of self-care routines, supporting elevated demand in 2023. Despite tough economic hardships in South Africa, new skin care brands continued to emerge as many…

The value size of premium beauty and personal care in South Africa remained considerably smaller than that of the mass segment in 2023, with the latter also recording a more dynamic growth performance. As many local consumers struggled with the cost…

Demand for oral care in South Africa remained stable in 2023, as this category is deemed essential for maintaining personal health and self-care. However, local consumers also continued to struggle with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Although…

Demand for men’s grooming in South Africa continued to rise in 2023. Since the pandemic, an increasing number of South African males have started to prioritise their skin care routines, including a greater shift towards using face masks. Men are not…

Sales of mass beauty and personal care in South Africa continued to rise in 2023, with many consumers struggling with the cost of living. Cash-strapped consumers became stricter with their budgets, and reduced their shopping list for their beauty and…

There was a strong emphasis on natural ingredients within hair care in South Africa towards the end of the review period. An increasing number of consumers have moved away from potentially harmful chemicals in their hair care products and are…

Despite recording a positive performance in 2023, demand for fragrances in South Africa remained below pre-pandemic levels. This is because many local consumers continued to face economic pressures and prioritised essential beauty and personal care…

With South African consumers experiencing financial pressures in 2023 as the cost of living in the country increased, they searched for ways to reduce outgoings, including on depilatories. For many consumers, depilatories are essential, as shaving is…

Despite remaining under financial pressure in 2023, demand for deodorants in South Africa continued to grow. However, many consumers reviewed their budgets and only prioritised certain products, while also becoming extremely strategic in terms of…

Demand for colour cosmetics in South Africa remained below pre-pandemic levels in 2023, as many local consumers continued to struggle financially and reduced their purchases of perceived non-essential products. However, sales promotions on colour…

In 2023, demand for beauty and personal care in South Africa continued to rise, despite many local consumers experiencing financial difficulties due to the cost-of-living crises. As a result, South Africans prioritised their expenditure and where…

Bath and shower in South African remained an essential category for many local consumers in 2023. Despite being financially challenged, much of the country’s population perceives bar soap as essential and tends to be included in most consumers’…

Baby and child-specific products in South Africa remained resilient in 2023, despite a struggling economy. Many consumers continued to prioritise their children’s wellbeing, supporting further demand across the category. This ongoing positive…

Pet products witnessed consistent current value growth in South Africa in the review period, and is expected to continue growing in 2024. In addition to pet products for sanitisation, such as cat litter, an increase in pet healthcare products has…

Pet care in South Africa is expected to experience significant current value growth in 2024, which is reflective of the importance of pets in everyday life. Growth is attributable to various factors, including the growing pet population, and the…

Other pet food is expected to continue to see current value growth in South Africa in 2024. Increases are expected across all categories, with fish food and small mammal/reptile food seeing the fastest growth rates from a lower base. The unit price…

The recent economic climate in South Africa has been characterised by significant challenges, with rising unemployment, inflation, steep hikes in interest rates, and economic pressure on the average consumer. These challenges are putting immense…

Cat food is expected to maintain current value growth in South Africa in 2024. The cat population has been rising faster than the dog population in in the country, with the rising popularity of cats leading to increased demand for cat food. While the…

PET bottles are the dominant pack type used for soft drinks in South Africa, as they are cost-effective, both in terms of production and transportation. The lightweight nature of the bottles reduces transportation costs, making them a practical…

Flexible aluminium/plastic, which is the dominant pack type used in hot drinks packaging in South Africa, continued to record strong unit volume growth in this industry in 2023. Flexible aluminium/plastic packaging is seen as providing superior…

This briefing provides a global perspective of the key trends occurring in cities over 2018 -2023. It goes on to provide forecast data and insights for cities over 2024-2040, covering areas such as the economic, population and consumer spending…

High inflation towards the end of the review period, where some products faced significant unit price increases, placed pressure on demand for wipes in South Africa, while value sales continued to record impressive growth. Therefore, consumers turned…

Concerns surrounding rising interest rates, inflationary pressures, loadshedding and supply chain constraints were the focus in 2023, influencing the performance of tissue and hygiene in South Africa. However, overall inflation in the country…

The average unit price of toilet paper in South Africa continued to rise in 2023, with inflation affecting transport, fuel and production costs. Inflation also impacted consumers’ disposable incomes, and thus retailers’ shelves were stacked with…