Wipes in South Africa

2021 DEVELOPMENTS

Wipes maintains buoyant growth, boosted by pandemic-related drivers

Wipes continued to register strong value growth in 2021, as consumers sought to protect themselves from the spread of COVID-19. At the height of the pandemic, consumer focus shifted strongly towards heightened levels of personal and home hygiene.

Heightened hygiene and frequent sanitising remain notable trends

In 2021, demand for many wipes continued to be driven by a heightened focus on hygiene, which also saw increased frequency of hand sanitising, as well as general household cleaning. As a result, general purpose wipes recorded another year of dynamic growth rates in 2021, as local consumers increasingly understood the benefits of being able to use these products for both personal and home hygiene.

Johnson & Johnson retains leadership of wipes, while private label remains strong

Wipes continued to be led by Johnson & Johnson in 2021, followed by Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark. The key reason for the strength of these large, multinational companies in the category is mainly attributed to their strong presence in baby wipes, which dominates value sales.

PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Wipes poised for stable growth, as consumers continue to prioritise hygiene

Wipes is predicted to record stable growth over the forecast period, as the economy recovers and consumers continue to prioritise high standards of personal hygiene, as well as cleanliness in the home. As a result, wipes is expected to see high demand, used for both cleaning hands, as well as surfaces and other objects in the home.

General purpose wipes set to be driven by increasing mobility

General purpose wipes is set to post the strongest retail volume growth over the forecast period, as consumers continue to sanitise and clean surfaces more often than in pre-pandemic years. While general purpose wipes, often referred to by local consumers as “wet wipes”, remains one of the smaller areas of the category, it witnessed greater demand following the outbreak of COVID-19, as South Africans valued higher levels of personal hygiene, while many have even started using these wipes to sanitise new surfaces and objects.

Sustainability to pose both a threat and business opportunity

The pandemic encouraged consumers to be more focused in terms of personal protection against COVID-19 than on purchasing eco-friendly, or green brands. However, as the threat of the pandemic gradually subsides over the forecast period, the focus is set to shift back to the protection of the environment, both from the point of view of consumers and businesses.