South Africa

Despite recording a positive performance in 2023, demand for fragrances in South Africa remained below pre-pandemic levels. This is because many local consumers continued to face economic pressures and prioritised essential beauty and personal care…

The number of hypermarkets operating in South Africa continued to decline in 2023. The trend emerged just prior to the pandemic due to cautious investments in the wake of economic uncertainty in the country. This scenario was exacerbated by lockdown…

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 legal cannabis market in South Africa has continued to see strong growth on the back of the landmark judgement in 2018, which determined private use and consumption of cannabis as legal within private spaces. As an example, private spaces include…

Spectacles in South Africa remains a highly lucrative category, and dominates value sales of overall eyewear in the country. As many South Africans continue to face economic hardship, they are being forced to review their budgets and spend more…

In 2023, sustainability remained a key focus for consumers in South Africa, leading to growing demand for homewares such as kitchen utensils and other items made from eco-friendly materials. Products such as bamboo utensils and reusable silicone food…

Sales of gardening hand tools in South Africa, such as sickles and weed pullers, continued to record current value growth in 2023. This can be attributed to the fact that gardening hand tools make tasks quicker and more efficient, enabling gardeners…

In 2023, vending in South Africa continued to recover from the negative impact of lockdown restrictions, which mainly affected machines located in semi-captive environments, leading to the bankruptcy of many small businesses operating within the…

Despite remaining under financial pressure in 2023, demand for deodorants in South Africa continued to grow. However, many consumers reviewed their budgets and only prioritised certain products, while also becoming extremely strategic in terms of…

After a relatively strong performance during the pandemic, due to lockdown restrictions, supermarkets in South Africa once again benefited in 2023 from consumers’ renewed focus on essential products due to economic pressures. The channel’s…

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…

High inflation towards the end of the review period, where some products faced significant unit price increases, placed pressure on demand for wipes in South Africa, while value sales continued to record impressive growth. Therefore, consumers turned…

In 2023, the retail landscape in South Africa remained challenged by the operating environment, translating into slow economic growth, which left unemployment at a relatively high level. As inflation remained above the South African Reserve Bank…

Polishes in South Africa recorded positive retail value growth in 2023, despite another fall in overall demand. The growth in value was attributable to the rapidly rising inflation rate. With higher unit prices of polishes, local consumers continued…

Demand for bleach in South Africa remained stable in 2023, with some consumers choosing this more affordable alternative to surface care due to the impact of inflation on disposable incomes. However, inflationary pressures resulted in category leader…

Lab grown diamonds are gaining popularity in South Africa, and the reason for this is twofold. The first reason is that lab-grown diamonds are cheaper. Consumers have seen falling disposable incomes in 2023, and therefore lab-grown diamonds have…

Demand for sunglasses in South Africa was already declining prior to the pandemic. Following the steep drop in volume sales in 2020 due to lockdowns and lack of mobility, demand continues to gradually fall as South Africa’s economy struggles, forcing…

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…

With South African consumers experiencing financial pressures in 2023 as the cost of living in the country increased, they searched for ways to reduce outgoings, including on depilatories. For many consumers, depilatories are essential, as shaving is…

Demand for home insecticides in South Africa continued to rise in 2023, with the country experiencing a surge in the presence and number of German cockroaches. Climate change oriented around wet and humid summers earlier in the year perpetuated the…

Laundry care in South Africa recorded a flat performance in 2023, although the largest category of laundry detergents continued to experience rising demand, a trend supported by a marginal decline in the average unit price. Laundry care in the…

The average unit price of toilet paper in South Africa continued to rise in 2023, with inflation affecting transport, fuel and production costs. Inflation also impacted consumers’ disposable incomes, and thus retailers’ shelves were stacked with…

Purchases of surface care in South Africa are included in many consumers’ grocery shopping budgets. In 2023, food inflation peaked at double digits, limiting affordability, in addition to a further rise in unit prices of surface care. This scenario…

The trading environment in South Africa paints a bleak picture; post-pandemic recovery hindered by deteriorating local economic conditions, including erratic electricity supply, weak growth and high levels of inflation. South Africa’s food price…

During 2023, many consumers in South Africa have been experiencing tough economic conditions. As a result, they have been cutting back on their discretionary spending due to lower disposable incomes. Similarly, consumers have been prioritising the…

Demand for colour cosmetics in South Africa remained below pre-pandemic levels in 2023, as many local consumers continued to struggle financially and reduced their purchases of perceived non-essential products. However, sales promotions on colour…

Cat food is expected to maintain current value growth in South Africa in 2024. The cat population has been rising faster than the dog population in in the country, with the rising popularity of cats leading to increased demand for cat food. While the…

Demand for sun care in South Africa remained stable in 2023 compared to the previous year, but below pre-pandemic levels. This was due to greater competition from hybrid products that offer sun protection properties, thereby reducing the need to…

Pet care in South Africa is expected to experience significant current value growth in 2024, which is reflective of the importance of pets in everyday life. Growth is attributable to various factors, including the growing pet population, and the…

Retail volume growth of toilet care in South Africa slowed in 2023 compared to the previous year. The country witnessed high-scale inflation, shifting a change in consumer behaviour. This was in addition to increasing costs of transport, fuel and…

In 2023, convenience stores in South Africa continued to benefit from proximity to local households, with this format often used for daily or weekly top-ups. However, in suburban areas, the channel is increasingly being threatened by the emergence of…

Value sales of home furnishings in South Africa continued to rise in 2023. However, retailers have shifted to procuring more locally manufactured furniture following the high costs of shipping and supply chain delays. Local and global logistics…

Since the pandemic, consumers have increasingly focused on skin care in South Africa as part of self-care routines, supporting elevated demand in 2023. Despite tough economic hardships in South Africa, new skin care brands continued to emerge as many…

Demand for oral care in South Africa remained stable in 2023, as this category is deemed essential for maintaining personal health and self-care. However, local consumers also continued to struggle with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Although…

There was a strong emphasis on natural ingredients within hair care in South Africa towards the end of the review period. An increasing number of consumers have moved away from potentially harmful chemicals in their hair care products and are…

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…

Demand for menstrual care in South Africa continued to increase in 2023, despite the country experiencing high inflation, driving up prices of food, transport and electricity. This also influenced the value performance of menstrual care, with rising…

In 2023, value sales growth of home improvement in South Africa remained fairly flat, but some local consumers continued to be invest in their kitchens and bathrooms. Bathroom and kitchen renovations are some of the most popular as these are most…

Pet products witnessed consistent current value growth in South Africa in the review period, and is expected to continue growing in 2024. In addition to pet products for sanitisation, such as cat litter, an increase in pet healthcare products has…

Overall demand for home care in South Africa remained stable in 2023, despite some variations in performance across the categories. While there may be a difference between high-income and low-income individuals in South Africa, the impact of elevated…

Demand for air care in South Africa continued to rise in 2023, albeit with marginally slower volume sales growth compared to the previous year, as the country experienced a surge in inflation. This contributed to higher company revenues and profits…

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…

Sustainability has emerged as a major trend in the packaging industry in South Africa due to a confluence of factors. These include: growing environmental concerns; consumer demand for eco-friendly products; government regulations promoting…

Pens is set to remain the biggest category within writing instruments in value terms in 2023, with pencils also remaining a significant category. Pens and pencils are expected to see positive current value growth rates in 2023 despite the tough…

In a price-sensitive market, and given the recent inflationary pressures, private label witnessed consistent growth in nappies/diapers/pants in South Africa as consumers looked to cheaper alternatives in 2023. Although many parents are considerably…

During 2023, many South Africans have been battling to survive financially. Due to consumers being cash-strapped, they have been prioritising the purchase of essential products, including items such as food, fuel, and mortgage or rent. With this…

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) reported a significant slowdown in disposable income growth 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%…

Many South Africans continue to struggle financially in 2023 due to the cost-of-living crisis, where high levels of inflation are impacting the cost of food, fuel and even mortgage and rent payments. Therefore, price-sensitive consumers are reducing…

Many local consumers remain extremely price sensitive in 2023 due to high levels of inflation impacting the prices of food, fuel, mortgage and even rent in South Africa. Hence, they are looking for value for money when they purchase childrenswear.…

South Africa’s political landscape continues to be unstable, hindering economic freedom, whilst social unrest negatively impacts peacefulness. Although inflation is falling, the power crisis is adversely affecting economic development and…