South Africa

Frozen ready meals was the main winner during the pandemic, recording strong double-digit percentage growth in its packaging unit volumes in both 2020 and 2021. This boosted the packaging unit volumes of folding cartons in these years, given it is…

There was a modest acceleration in the rate of unit volume growth in sauces, dressings and condiments packaging during 2020. With South Africa enforcing one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, many…

In 2022, the lingering impact of heightened hygiene consciousness due to the pandemic continued to influence the performance of home care categories in South Africa. For example, bleach continued to see positive growth in 2022, even following the…

Fine cut tobacco’s value proposition was helping drive demand for this product in 2022. In comparison to its more expensive competitor, cigarettes, fine cut tobacco does not have to factor in the manufacturing cost of creating a ready-to-smoke…

Bath and shower products were recording the strongest unit volume growth rates in beauty and personal care packaging in South Africa in 2022, which can be attributed to the increasing hygiene awareness among consumers as well as their changing…

Chocolate confectionery is set to record solid retail current value growth in 2023, driven by unit price increases of around 10% in most categories. Meanwhile, without innovation in terms of flavours, and digital campaigns, stronger volume declines…

Although retail volume sales of gum are expected to return to a slight decline in 2023, the category is set to record strong single-digit retail current value growth in 2023, primarily driven by price rises, value-added options, and flavour…

Rolling blackouts (loadshedding) have persisted in 2023, averaging stage 4 for the year (at the time of writing this report), which means that consumers experience power cuts for three to four two-hour slots per day. As a result, consumers have cut…

The top players in savoury snacks are set to continue to record value share declines in 2023, mainly driven by higher unit prices. The weather continues to hamper the local production of potatoes used in the production of potato chips. While the…

2023 has marked another tough year for consumers in South Africa, with double-digit food inflation, rising interest rates, and continuous rolling blackouts (loadshedding). Loadshedding has affected the entire supply chain, as well as consumers, as…

Sugar confectionery is set to record high single-digit retail current value growth in 2023; however, rising unit prices are expected to drive down retail volume demand. Most categories are projected to see double-digit growth in unit prices as a…

National Brands is set to continue to lead sweet biscuits in retail value terms in 2023, despite strong competition from private label lines and rising unit prices in South Africa. During 2023 unit prices are set to increase by double digits, driven…

South Africa’s political landscape continues to be unstable, hindering economic freedom, whilst social unrest negatively impacts peacefulness. Although inflation is falling, the power crisis is adversely affecting economic development and…

South Africa remained subject to widespread electricity blackouts (load-shedding) in 2023, which meant that were was no power supply during certain times of the day. This had a negative impact on the operating capability of many organisations across…

The consumer electronics market in South Africa is becoming increasingly characterised by high levels of innovation by the leading players. With tough economic conditions placing pressure on consumers’ disposable incomes, brand owners sought to…

Many companies in South Africa are adopting a hybrid working model, a trend that was facilitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Such a development has boosted volume sales of headphone products, which saw continued growth in 2023. The main reason behind…

Towards the end of the review period, there was a growing demand for home audio and cinema products which did not require a lot of time to set up and operate, commensurate with increasingly busy lifestyles. One product to benefit from this trend was…

Consumer demands continued to evolve in 2023, alongside the emergence of new technologies. One notable trend within home video was a growing demand for multifunctional smart TVs, which gave consumers the opportunity to stream their favourite shows…

Imaging devices are increasingly under threat from alternative, better value for money products that serve the same purpose, most notably smartphones. Most new smartphones have an imaging functionality that competes with both digital cameras and…

The emergence of products with multiple functions across the consumer electronics industry continued to have a negative impact on in-car entertainment in South Africa in 2023. In-car navigation, for example, is increasingly affected by the fact that…