South Africa

South Africans are feeling the financial pressure as the impact of high inflation and rising interest rates in 2023 have resulted in a household debt-to-income ratio, increasing from 61.6% to 62.1%. With rising fuel prices, the cost of going out to…

Value sales of fine wines/Champagne and spirits is set to grow by 13% to total ZAR2.0 billion in 2023. This strong growth is partly the result of a consumer desire to indulge and enjoy themselves now that the pandemic is over. Socialising (at home as…

The number of financial cards in circulation is set to continue to increase in 2023, supported by a steady rise in the banked population and the intensified competition between issuers. Meanwhile, value transactions across categories such as debit…

Demand for eyewear in South Africa continues to rise, despite the rising cost of living. Many local consumers are struggling financially and are prioritising certain goods over others. Additionally, South Africans are becoming more strategic in terms…

During 2023, more consumers suffered from eye health issues due to much more time spent using technology, such as computers and laptops. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, children were unable to go to school or workers to their workplace and…

Tourism levels in South Africa showed signs of recovery in 2023, despite the macroeconomic backdrop of high inflation and rising food and fuel costs triggered by Russia’s war in Ukraine. This represents an improvement on 2021 and 2022, when…

Switch Energy has introduced three new flavours to its range as limited editions. In 2023, the brand offered 37 different flavours compared to Monster Energy’s 18 flavours, and Dragon’s 17 flavours. Interest in Switch Energy peaked when it introduced…

Rising input costs such as the cost of animal feed and installing a more stable electricity supply has resulted in price hikes for eggs. The cost of feed, fuel and electricity usually accounts for 75% of input costs for producers. Grain shortages due…

Both retail volume and current value sales of edible oils are set to see strong declines in 2023. After two years of exceptionally strong growth, the average unit prices of vegetable and seed oils have started to normalise over 2023, with prices…

The South African economy witnessed a slowdown in 2022, impacted by record power blackouts, resulting in load shedding and major business losses. A slowdown in industrial production weighed on exports, while the energy shortage raised import bills…

Economies in the Middle East and Africa experienced a downturn in 2020 after continuous expansion since 2015. The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with slumping oil prices, has disturbed countries’ economic development and distorted public finances.…

The Durban in South Africa report provides comprehensive city level information benchmarked against other cities in the country and region. The report includes historic data and forecasts on city population, consumer expenditure, digital penetration,…

As the prices of food have been soaring, retailers are focused on bringing consumers the lowest prices possible for essential products such as drinking milk products. This means that farmers and producers do not really have much room to increase…

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…

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…

The waning impact of the pandemic in South Africa has changed how many households operate in terms of busier lifestyles. The main change is that many employees continue to observe remote/hybrid working measures, and thus are spending greater time at…

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…

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…

Since 2022, South Africa has been suffering from rolling electricity blackouts. The scheduled blackouts can often occur in some areas around two to three times a day. Moreover, these blackouts often occur during mealtimes. This has created a strong…

During the review period, South Africa experienced high levels of inflation that impacted essential categories such as food, fuel and even mortgage payments. Consumers were cutting down on discretionary spending as they had less disposable income.…