South Africa

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…

Sauces is the largest packaging category in sauces, dips and condiments, driven by cooking and table sauces, in particular mayonnaise, ketchup and salad dressings. Home seclusion during the pandemic, especially in 2020, drove up demand for cooking…

Despite the expectation of a notable retail volume decline for overall sauces, dips and condiments in 2023, as consumers have been reducing their spending on non-essential grocery items, recipe sauces is set to experience moderate growth, as…

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…

Rooibos tea continues to be a growing choice among South Africans due to its local positioning. It is also considered the more suitable option due to its pricing, antioxidant and hydrating effects. This supports the growth of rooibos tea, especially…

As the price of wheat has increased over the review period as a result of the war in Ukraine, some South Africans have been reducing their bread consumption, leading to a stronger switch to other staple foods such as rice, since it can stretch…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Despite the presence of economic challenges that limit consumers’ disposable incomes, refrigeration remains a key necessity for many South Africans. This is evident by the consistent demand for refrigeration appliances in the country over much of the…

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…

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) reported a significant slowdown in disposable incomes in the first quarter of 2023. The impact of high inflation and rising interest rates resulted in a household debt-to-income ratio increasing from 61.6% to…

Retail volume sales of processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat continue to rise in 2023, although different categories are experiencing varying performances. Rolling power outages, especially around dinner time, have been boosting demand for…

Processed seafood, driven primarily by shelf stable seafood, continued to support demand for packaging volumes in South Africa in 2022. Shelf stable seafood, such as tuna, pilchards and sardines remain popular choices for South Africans due to the…

Metal food cans remained the dominant packaging in category within processed fruit and vegetables in 2022, driven by shelf stable fruit and vegetables, with shelf stable beans holding the largest retail unit volume share.

Volume sales of shelf stable beans are recording robust, double-digit growth through both retail and foodservice channels in 2023. The rising cost of living has encouraged local consumers to search for affordable protein sources, including beans.…

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…

Value sales of premium and luxury cars are set to rise by 14% to total ZAR39.8 billion in 2023. This dynamism is due to increased demand from high-income consumers, who proved to be steadfast in their desire to buy new cars despite the macroeconomic…

As mobility has normalised in 2023, following restrictions imposed during the pandemic, demand for pre-paid cards for the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system has benefited from households resuming activities such as work and school. Growth in…

During the review period, South Africa faced repeated interruptions to the power supply, known as load-shedding. This had a significant impact on businesses, including consumer electronics, as well as consumer lifestyles. However, these intermittent…

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…

The increasing demand for plant-based dairy options in South Africa is mainly attributed to the greater adoption of healthy lifestyles for a wide range of reasons, from vegetarianism to dietary (such as intolerance to lactose) and environmental…

Demand for plant-based dairy products continues to grow locally, with other plant-based milk set to see the strongest retail volume growth in 2023, albeit from a low base. Plant-based milk remains by far the biggest category, thanks its wide…

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…

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…

Personal luxury is set to see current value growth of 8% in 2023 to reach ZAR10.6 billion. This is being supported by strong performances from leading brand providers, such as Surtee Group, African Sales Co (Pty) Ltd and Louis Vuitton South Africa…

Personal grooming across the country is becoming an increasingly important aspect of many consumers’ lives. While this concept was traditionally linked to female consumers in South Africa, due to the stigma attached to male consumers who indulged in…

During 2023, many consumers in South Africa have been experiencing tough economic conditions. As a result, they have been cutting back on their discretionary spending due to lower disposable incomes. Similarly, consumers have been prioritising the…

Despite the tough economic landscape in South Africa and the cost of living crisis in the country consumers continue to purchase paediatric consumer health products. During the review period, consumers cut down on discretionary spending and were even…

Sustainability has emerged as a major trend in the packaging industry in South Africa due to a confluence of factors. These include: growing environmental concerns; consumer demand for eco-friendly products; government regulations promoting…

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 health and wellness trend continues to gain momentum in South Africa. Alternative dairy products are creating access to a new target audience, whereby consumers are experimenting with vegan options. This new segment in consumer preferences is…

Despite the expectation of retail current value growth, all categories within other dairy are set to experience retail volume declines in 2023, as consumers prioritise essential food products over non-essential or luxury items. Economic challenges…

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…

In a time where South Africans are experiencing high inflationary price increases across all fresh food categories, nuts experienced a price drop in late 2022 due to oversupply in the local market. South Africa is the leading supplier of macadamia…

NRT smoking cessation aids is a small category in South Africa and only relevant to a small consumer group. Since, 2022 NRT gum has been the only product type that has been available locally over the counter. Other products such as NRT patches are…

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…

In the forecast period, new car sales will be supported by an improved macroeconomy, while sales of electric vehicles (EVs) will be driven by incentives and a growing charging network. Public transport will aim to become more centralised, as taxis…

During the review period, there was a clear trend towards smartphones with larger screen sizes in South Africa. This was driven mainly by technological advancements which allowed consumers to perform multiple functions, which until relatively…

Consumers’ lifestyles in South Africa have changed significantly since the pandemic, particularly as many employees continue to work from home for at least part of the week. Subsequently, the need for a convenient environment has also increased…

Since the pandemic, the focus on wearing formal attire has shifted to more casual trends in South Africa. This trend remains prevalent in 2023, with fewer formal attire ranges being displayed in various men’s apparel specialists. As a result, many…

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…

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…

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) reported a significant slowdown in disposable income growth in the first quarter of 2023. The impact of high inflation and rising interest rates resulted in a household debt-to-income ratio increasing from 61.6%…

In South Africa, dry soup is well-liked as it is a strong option in areas with inconsistent access to energy or refrigeration, since it can be stored for long periods of time without refrigeration. Flexible plastic and folding cartons are frequently…

As in the previous year, in 2023 ready meals and soups is set to see solid retail volume growth, along with dynamic double-digit current value growth as a result of inflationary price rises. The growing demand for healthy and convenient ready meals…

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…

Retail sales of luxury goods in South Africa are expected to grow by 14% in current value terms in 2023 to reach ZAR55.0 billion. The category has continued on the path to recovery with consumers returning to their pre-pandemic work, travel, and…