South Africa remains one the most competitive economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, featuring a relatively easier doing business environment and competitive infrastructural landscape. However, factors including a highly rigid labour market, acute skill ...

South Africa’s economy was severely affected by global commodity price weakness and sensitivity to Chinese demand. The government has adopted fiscal restraint; however, public debt continues its upward trajectory. Political instability caused recent ...

South Africa’s challenging economic and political environment continued to weigh on the performance of the country’s consumer market in 2016. This also prevented a reduction of the country’s income inequality levels, which rank amongst the highest in...

Consumers in South Africa increasingly demand more from manufacturers in terms of healthy beverages as more information sources become available to them. The internet is one good source of valuable information for consumers in relation to healthy ...

Better for you packaged food continued to be dominated by BFY reduced fat packaged food, which held n 83% share of value sales in 2016. Thanks to modern lifestyles, consumers have less time to cook and exercise, and worries about weight management ...

Manufacturers of fortified/functional products increasingly focus on ensuring there is substantial added value in the beverages they sell. One method is through positioning such products as being high energy sources in response to changing consumer ...

Functional foods are foods that deliver additional benefits over their nutritional value and encompass a wide range of products, while fortified foods are those that are fortified with extra amounts of a particular ingredient. However, although these...

Apart from a niche of gluten-free products and lactose-free dairy products, South African food intolerance comprises lactose-free baby milk formula and other HW special baby milk formula, such as anti-reflux and NAN Pelargon. This formula is ...

Demand for healthy beverages is on the rise in South Africa with more consumers opting to fight health conditions, such as obesity and heart disease. Naturally healthy (NH) beverages is a typical example of such solutions for consumers as most ...

This category is benefiting from the general wellness trend towards more natural, healthy and less processed products. Natural and healthy are strong selling points for packaged food products as consumers are moving away from calorie-orientated diets...

Sales of organic beverages remained negligible in South Africa in 2016. Many consumers remain sceptical of the claims made for organic beverages and do not perceive any added value in these products, especially given the higher unit prices associated...

The main determinant of growth in this category towards the end of the review period was the increased demand for health and wellness products among urban dwellers. Although it is easier to find organic food in rural areas, the country’s urban ...

The review period was marked by a challenging economic climate, rising prices, low consumer confidence and declining disposable incomes. The latter, together with limited access to credit due to tougher credit regulations introduced by the National ...

The demand for convenient and quick food options continued to boost value sales of 100% home delivery/takeaway in 2016. In an attempt to capitalise on this trend, many industry players introduced services, such as delivery and online ordering, during...

Cafés/bars continued to be supported by South Africa’s growing middle- and high-income consumers during the review period. As a result of this trend, current value sales recorded growth of 9% to reach ZAR16.2 billion in 2016. The value growth ...

During the review period, stand-alone remained by far the most important location, accounting for the bulk of total consumer foodservice value sales in 2016 at 67%. In addition to being the most traditional model for consumer foodservice outlets in ...

Fast food operators continued to broaden their menus in order to offer a wider selection of meals and snacks at a wider range of price points to attract customers of all budgets in 2016. Many opted to offer value for money in the form of promotional ...

Current value sales of full-service restaurants continued to record positive growth during the review period, increasing by 9% in 2016 to reach ZAR30.2 billion. Despite the recorded positive growth, value growth experienced in 2016 was marginally ...

The review period was marked by a challenging economic climate, rising prices, low consumer confidence and declining disposable incomes. The latter, together with limited access to credit due to tougher credit regulations introduced by the National ...

Self-service cafeterias continued to be an insignificant channel within consumer foodservice in South Africa in 2016....