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…

Preparing and eating more meals at home meant that cooking ingredients and meals saw a spike in demand when the pandemic hit Middle East and Africa in 2020. However, in recent years, including 2023, volume sales have been struggling in the face of…

In 2023, cooking ingredients and meals has fully recovered from the destruction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. However, the industry now faces a new set of challenges. The international global fuel hikes and shortages have resulted…

Price remains a pivotal factor during 2023 and continues to shape consumer choices. Consumers persist in making decisions, leaning towards more economical and affordable brands. Edible oils remain central to cooking, but retail sales dipped due to…

Edible oils continue to dominate cooking ingredients and meals. Demand is gradually shifting from palm oil to sunflower oil, as the latter is regarded as healthier by a growing number of local consumers. Meanwhile, stock cubes and powders and…

Demand continued to increase across most categories of cooking ingredients and meals in 2023 despite significant average unit price increases as high inflation eroded consumer spending power. General economic development, urbanisation and the spread…

In 2023, the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer a strong factor in the performance of cooking ingredients and meals, with the category now being impacted by global inflation instead. However, the annual inflation rate dropped to 11% in April 2023, the…

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…

Honey is experiencing a surge in demand in Tunisia in 2023, with volume sales recording double-digit growth in the year. This performance can be attributed to a new strategy adopted by local companies, who have shifted from selling unpackaged honey…

Despite maintaining retail volume growth throughout the pandemic and its aftermath, sweet spreads is set to turn to slight decline in 2023, although dynamic current value growth is still expected, due to price rises. Apart from the rising price of…

Sweet spreads recorded a strong volume decline in 2023, having already experienced decline in 2022. Inflationary conditions caused by depreciation of the local currency as well as sharp rises in fuel prices and a Federal Government demonetisation…

Over 2023, sweet spreads is set to rebound, albeit marginally, from the slight decline in retail volume sales in 2022. Stagnation is due mainly to the strong retail volume decline in honey and only moderate growth in the main category, jams and…

Local brands such as Peptang and Zesta continue to maintain their dominant presence in sweet spreads. Their success can be attributed to their extensive distribution networks and competitive pricing when compared to imported products. These homegrown…

Sweet spreads is facing the same cross-category challenges which create huge value spikes due to skyrocketing unit prices in the inflationary context, along with low consumer spending power meaning a crash in volume sales. In the case of sweet…

Chocolate spreads remains by far the largest product area among sweet spreads, with Tartina by Chococam being the best seller. It also offers Choconut. Affordable pricing, an extensive distribution network and a long-standing presence has built up…

Tomato paste is witnessing a notable price increase (up to 11%) in 2023 as a result of a surge in production costs due to rising labour and energy costs, and investment in processing facilities. Tomato price increases due to adverse weather…

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…

Sauces, dips, and condiments declined notably in volume terms in 2023 despite the essential status of many of the products in the category. Higher prices caused largely by the deprecation of the local currency had a negative impact on volume and…

Tomato shortages in 2022 due to low local production and soaring prices of fresh tomatoes prompted many consumers to switch to packaged tomato pastes and purées towards the end of the review period. The drought and the severe cold winter weather…

Stock cubes have cemented their status as essential staple ingredients in households, regardless of income levels. Surprisingly, this demand remains on the rise even in the face of strong price increases. One noteworthy brand in this segment is…

Sauces, dips, and condiments is facing the same cross-category challenges of skyrocketing costs creating increased unit prices, set against a gloomy economic climate creating high consumer price-sensitivity and lower demand for non-essentials.…

Stock cubes and powders continue to account for most value sales in 2023. Stock cubes and powders are used copiously in Cameroonian cooking as a flavour enhancer, but value sales are also supported by the convenience, shelf stability and nutritional…

All soup brands in Tunisia are imported, with Calfort, Ideal and Knorr dominating sales. These brands invest significantly in advertising campaigns, particularly on Middle Eastern television channels, which are widely viewed by Tunisian consumers.…

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…

Meals and soups declined in volume terms in 2023 following a strong negative decline in 2022. This remains a relatively niche category in Nigeria and is widely considered non-essential. Consequently, as consumers focused on essentials and sought to…

Many Moroccans perceive ready meals to be less healthy and not as tasty than freshly cooked food, while they also see them as more expensive options. With consumers more appreciative of taste, sensitive to price and, to a lesser extent, health and…

There has been a growing demand for soups among consumers in Kenya. The landscape has quickly become one of the few industries that have witnessed a surge in demand after the outbreak of COVID-19. However, there is an overall perception in the…

In a cross-category trend, meals and soups is seeing falling volumes in light of the skyrocketing unit prices which are supporting high value growth. Contributing factors include the rising costs of raw materials, ingredients, and energy, alongside…

Meals and soups in Cameroon accounts for minimal value sales. These products have limited presence on retail shelves and this means that consumer awareness is low. Ready meals and packaged soup are also considered to be unnecessarily expensive…

Despite the government’s efforts, subsidised edible oil continues to experience shortages in several regions in Tunisia, which is impacting lower income consumers as they are more likely to buy subsidised oil. The significance of the Ministry of…

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…

Edible oils declined in volume terms in 2023, following only weak volume growth in 2022. Inflationary conditions that had been strong in 2022 worsened in 2023 due to the continuing depreciation of the local currency, a government policy of…

There was a poor olive oil harvest in Morocco, in 2022 due mainly to water shortages during winter (January-March). This resulted in reduced flowering and affected the harvest. Moreover, Morocco witnessed the blow of hot arid winds (Chergui) from the…

In 2023, edible oil prices have remained persistently high, continuing the trend from the significant increase experienced in 2022. Unfortunately, there is little respite in sight, primarily due to the Kenyan government's imposition of a 25% import…

The headline in edible oils in 2023 is the huge increase in unit prices, leading to astounding value growth. However, on the other hand, this means many consumers cannot afford such oils, and volume is crashing in turn. There are a number of factors…

With significant price pressures on palm oil, the government agreed an official price with industry stakeholders in 2022, of FCFA1,500 per litre, though there has had to be a degree of rationing. Discussion are still ongoing regarding Cameroon’s…

Demand for cooking ingredients and meals has remained centred around edible oils and sauces, dips and condiments in 2023. While the pandemic has come to an end, high inflation is putting pressure on incomes thus limiting stronger growth, with…

Cooking ingredients and meals in Tunisia was characterised by significant price increases in 2023 as a result of rising production and transportation costs, inflation, and the difficult economic climate in the country. This upward trend in prices…

2023 has been a tough financial year for consumers, with double-digit food inflation, rising interest rates, and rolling blackouts. Loadshedding significantly affects the entire supply chain, as well as consumers, as it has been implemented almost…

Cooking ingredients and meals saw a relatively strong decline in 2023 despite the fact that its major categories consist of several products that are central to consumer diets and even considered to be essential. Inflationary pressures, which had…

Commodity prices recorded a rise in 2022, compared to the previous year, aggravated by war in Ukraine. However, the second half of the year saw a downward correction in prices, explained by the weakness of global demand. The national economy has…

In 2023, packaged food in Kenya faces the challenge of high inflation, leading to a significant increase in unit prices. As a result, consumers are prioritising essential grocery items while cutting back on impulse or non-essential purchases. For…

2023 marks another downturn in the volumes of cooking ingredients and meals in Egypt, while value is supported by hikes in unit prices. Indeed, consumers in Egypt continue to face economic challenges, with global inflation and the rising costs of…

Cameroon was not as affected by the energy crisis stemming from the war in Ukraine as many other countries. Rising global energy prices in 2022 gave a boost to government coffers and helped stabilise the economy. However, ongoing civil conflict, as…

Sweet spreads is expected to register muted constant value and volume growth in 2023. Population growth continues to sustain volume growth, but with inflation still being high, there is a degree of trading down. Restrictions on imports also continue…

Sauces, dips and condiments is expected to register muted constant value and volume growth in 2023. Population growth continues to sustain volume growth, but with inflation still being high, there is a degree of trading down. Tomato pastes and purées…

Value sales continues to be low for meals and soup and in 2023, there is expected to be significant volume decline. High inflation continues to hamper demand, with soup and meals mainly bought by higher income consumers. Soup accounts for most volume…

Edible oils are a staple in Algerian cooking and in 2023 they are expected to register moderate constant value and volume growth. Population growth continues to sustain volume growth, but with inflation still being high, there is a degree of trading…

An energy boom, caused by the war in Ukraine, continues to bolster national coffers in 2023. That being said, global inflationary pressures is leading to rising prices. As such, cooking ingredients and meals is expected to register an increase in…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. In 2023, global inflation is expected to ease from its peak in 2022, but remaining significantly above-trend. Geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market are…