South Africa

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…