Africa

Technological advances in 2024 will continue to reshape consumer behaviour. This annual report explores the top five digital shopper trends that will redefine commerce the most in the year ahead. Some of the trends included in this report’s edition…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries in Q4 2023 and 2024. Global inflation is moderating, although divergence remains among the key economies. Higher volatility in the energy markets and disruption of…

Rising costs of living pose challenges globally, but companies can find opportunities in several categories, essential and discretionary, especially in underpenetrated fast-growing markets. By considering category adjacencies and focusing on value,…

In the upcoming years, consumers and businesses face an array of challenges, with rising income inequality being among the key ones. Nevertheless, addressing the income inequality through catering to the Bottom of the Pyramid and the Middle Class…

The global economy is facing weaker growth and increasing fragmentation, as a result of rising geopolitical tensions, especially due to the war in Ukraine and the US-China strategic rivalry. Protectionism, industrial policy and a focus on resilience…

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, 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…

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…

The emergence of products with multiple functions across the consumer electronics industry continued to have a negative impact on in-car entertainment in South Africa in 2023. In-car navigation, for example, is increasingly affected by the fact that…

Imaging devices are increasingly under threat from alternative, better value for money products that serve the same purpose, most notably smartphones. Most new smartphones have an imaging functionality that competes with both digital cameras and…

Consumer demands continued to evolve in 2023, alongside the emergence of new technologies. One notable trend within home video was a growing demand for multifunctional smart TVs, which gave consumers the opportunity to stream their favourite shows…

Towards the end of the review period, there was a growing demand for home audio and cinema products which did not require a lot of time to set up and operate, commensurate with increasingly busy lifestyles. One product to benefit from this trend was…

Many companies in South Africa are adopting a hybrid working model, a trend that was facilitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Such a development has boosted volume sales of headphone products, which saw continued growth in 2023. The main reason behind…

The consumer electronics market in South Africa is becoming increasingly characterised by high levels of innovation by the leading players. With tough economic conditions placing pressure on consumers’ disposable incomes, brand owners sought to…

South Africa remained subject to widespread electricity blackouts (load-shedding) in 2023, which meant that were was no power supply during certain times of the day. This had a negative impact on the operating capability of many organisations across…

Wearable electronics are becoming increasingly popular with the category set to record a double-digit increase in volume and current value sales in 2023. Preventative health is the main driver of value sales of wearable electronics, as consumers look…

Overall, portable players is expected to register a decline in volume sales. Technology advances are leading to the obsoletion of portable players. In particular, smartphones and tablets are replacing the need for portable media players. This is also…

The 2022 finance law in Morocco introduced an internal consumption tax on smartphones and new “green” taxes, which is expected to raise the cost of electronic devices and household appliances. Analysts predict that the ongoing war in Ukraine and chip…

In-car entertainment is expected to register further volume sales declines in 2023 caused by a combination of factors. New cars often have in-built technology. In addition, prices are on the rise due to general inflation, particularly stemming from…

Imaging devices is expected to be the worst performing consumer electronics category in 2023. Continuing advances in smartphone cameras are leading to a decline in imaging devices, to the extent that some smartphones can meet the imaging device needs…