South Africa

In 2023, convenience stores in South Africa continued to benefit from proximity to local households, with this format often used for daily or weekly top-ups. However, in suburban areas, the channel is increasingly being threatened by the emergence of…

In 2023, direct selling in South Africa remained subject to challenging operating environments. Despite some stabilising of value sales following three consecutive years of decline as a result of the pandemic, there was still lower demand for certain…

In 2023, discounters in South Africa continued to record dynamic growth across all indicators. Despite decelerated food inflation, estimated at an average of 8.5% over 2023 as a whole compared to a 14-year high of 14.4% in March, South African…

Lockdown restrictions imposed on shopping centres during the pandemic were particularly challenging for department stores in South Africa, which often occupy prime rentals in such locations. For Woolworths, the situation was worsened by civil unrest…

After being affected by restrictive lockdown restrictions, which resulted in the imposition of face masks and limited social gatherings, beauty specialists in South Africa are now benefiting from consumers’ revived routines, including returning to…

Home products specialists in South Africa continued to record a fairly weak performance in 2023. From one of the lowest interest rates imposed by the South African Reserve Bank during the pandemic, mortgage rates continued to skyrocket in 2023 as the…

The number of hypermarkets operating in South Africa continued to decline in 2023. The trend emerged just prior to the pandemic due to cautious investments in the wake of economic uncertainty in the country. This scenario was exacerbated by lockdown…

In 2023, sales via e-commerce in South Africa continued to benefit from a steady decline in the price of connectivity, which allowed a higher number of consumers to access the service at affordable prices. For instance, the price of 1G broadband has…

In 2023, the retail landscape in South Africa remained challenged by the operating environment, translating into slow economic growth, which left unemployment at a relatively high level. As inflation remained above the South African Reserve Bank…

With relatively low bargaining power, small local grocers in South Africa have become more exposed to the persisting inflationary pressure since they often source their products from wholesalers. The latter tend to have higher markups in comparison…

After a relatively strong performance during the pandemic, due to lockdown restrictions, supermarkets in South Africa once again benefited in 2023 from consumers’ renewed focus on essential products due to economic pressures. The channel’s…

In 2023, vending in South Africa continued to recover from the negative impact of lockdown restrictions, which mainly affected machines located in semi-captive environments, leading to the bankruptcy of many small businesses operating within the…

Demand for air care in South Africa continued to rise in 2023, albeit with marginally slower volume sales growth compared to the previous year, as the country experienced a surge in inflation. This contributed to higher company revenues and profits…

Demand for bleach in South Africa remained stable in 2023, with some consumers choosing this more affordable alternative to surface care due to the impact of inflation on disposable incomes. However, inflationary pressures resulted in category leader…

Overall demand for dishwashing in South Africa continued to rise in 2023, supported by both automatic dishwashing and the dominant hand washing format. The number of dishwashers owned pre-pandemic when compared to after the lockdowns in South Africa…

Overall demand for home care in South Africa remained stable in 2023, despite some variations in performance across the categories. While there may be a difference between high-income and low-income individuals in South Africa, the impact of elevated…

Demand for home insecticides in South Africa continued to rise in 2023, with the country experiencing a surge in the presence and number of German cockroaches. Climate change oriented around wet and humid summers earlier in the year perpetuated the…

Laundry care in South Africa recorded a flat performance in 2023, although the largest category of laundry detergents continued to experience rising demand, a trend supported by a marginal decline in the average unit price. Laundry care in the…

Polishes in South Africa recorded positive retail value growth in 2023, despite another fall in overall demand. The growth in value was attributable to the rapidly rising inflation rate. With higher unit prices of polishes, local consumers continued…

Purchases of surface care in South Africa are included in many consumers’ grocery shopping budgets. In 2023, food inflation peaked at double digits, limiting affordability, in addition to a further rise in unit prices of surface care. This scenario…

Retail volume growth of toilet care in South Africa slowed in 2023 compared to the previous year. The country witnessed high-scale inflation, shifting a change in consumer behaviour. This was in addition to increasing costs of transport, fuel and…

South Africa is no longer facing the restrictions of the pandemic, employees have returned to offices and consumers are generally spending greater time outside of the home. This also means that hospitals are no longer full of patients requiring…

Demand for menstrual care in South Africa continued to increase in 2023, despite the country experiencing high inflation, driving up prices of food, transport and electricity. This also influenced the value performance of menstrual care, with rising…

In a price-sensitive market, and given the recent inflationary pressures, private label witnessed consistent growth in nappies/diapers/pants in South Africa as consumers looked to cheaper alternatives in 2023. Although many parents are considerably…

With the effects of inflation still being felt within the market during 2023, many consumers turned to more affordable options for retail adult incontinence in South Africa. This resulted in the further demand for private label and cheaper…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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’…

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…

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…

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…

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 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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…