South Africa

Sour milk products are commonly preferred by lower-income consumers, who are particularly susceptible to price increases. These consumers often opt for such products due to their relatively lower cost compared with other dairy items, making sour milk…

Pens is set to remain the biggest category within writing instruments in value terms in 2023, with pencils also remaining a significant category. Pens and pencils are expected to see positive current value growth rates in 2023 despite the tough…

For many consumers wound care items are considered non-essential and appear rarely in monthly grocery shopping baskets. Wound care products are rarely bought in high volumes or even on a regular basis. Consumers who purchase wound care products only…

The first live-action Barbie film was released in South Africa in 2023, encouraging many apparel and footwear specialists to stock various licensed clothing items featuring the Barbie logo. Watching the Barbie film for many local consumers was a…

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…

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…

Despite the tough economic conditions in South Africa in 2023, consumers remain dedicated to their health and wellbeing. As such, they are still prioritising activities such as going to the gym, outdoor sports and taking a walk after work, with even…

During the review period, consumers across South Africa became more aware of the importance of leading healthy lives. This trend was facilitated by the COVID-19 pandemic which gave them more time to reflect on their lifestyles. Such a development…

During the review period, more consumers have prioritised their skin care. Despite the economic difficulties, consumers are still purchasing skin care products as there are various skin care ranges both locally and internationally that have a wide…

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…

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…

The impact of inflation has not spared vegetables, with the latter also experiencing further steep price increases in 2023. With affordability being a key priority for South Africans, one of the ways to offset these increases is by choosing to…

The established remote/hybrid working model since the pandemic has dramatically changed many South Africans’ lifestyles. It comes with challenges such as limited time to perform errands and chores, or manage childcare, whilst also working from home.…

Travel and tourism in South Africa has faced persistent challenges due to rising input costs, particularly related to supplying quality water to clients and dealing with frequent power outages. Water supply and water quality challenges have been…

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,…

Connected watches were becoming increasingly popular even before the pandemic, although rising from a low base. Even during the worst of the pandemic sales continued to grow in both retail volume and current value terms, and this is set to continue…

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…

Travel and tourism in South Africa has been sustained by the domestic market despite major airlines being grounded in 2022 and an increase in aviation fuel prices. Tourist arrivals from Europe and the US have started to regain momentum in 2023, with…

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…

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,…