COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Simba maintains leadership through bread and dessert mixes
Simba (Pty) Ltd remained the leading company in baked goods in retail value terms in 2025, supported by its second-ranked position in packaged leavened bread through the well-known Sasko brand, and its dominance in dessert mixes. With bread facing some pressure from rising prices, Sasko responded by offering a broad range of product offerings, catering to a diverse consumer base.
RCL and Tiger register robust growth
RCL Foods Ltd was the most dynamic player in baked goods in 2025, supported by the strong retail presence of its Sunbake bread brand, operational efficiencies and recent strategic moves such as the acquisition and integration of Sunshine Bakery in March 2023, which strengthened its production capacity and distribution network.
Delivery:
Files are delivered directly into your account soon after payment is received and any tax certification is verified (where applicable).
This report comes in PDF with additional info in Excel included.
Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Baked Goods industry in South Africa with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
Data and analysis in this report provides further detailed coverage dedicated to a comprehensive range of core packaged food categories.
If you're in the Baked Goods industry in South Africa, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Baked Goods in South Africa report includes:
- Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
- Detailed segmentation of international and local products
- Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares
- Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
- Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country
This report answers:
- What is the market size of Baked Goods in South Africa?
- Which are the leading brands in Baked Goods in South Africa?
- How are products distributed in Baked Goods in South Africa?
- How is the rise of e-commerce and/or the expansion of modern grocery retail impacting traditional retail?
- What are the key health and wellness concerns driving, or challenging, sales in Baked Goods?
- How significant are vegan and vegetarian dietary requirements in determining sales growth in South Africa?
- How has COVID-19 impacted consumer demand? To what extent have lockdown, home seclusion and stockpiling boosted sales? Will the longer term economic repercussions of the pandemic stimulate or suppress future growth?
- Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?
- How significant will values-based claims, such as sustainability and ethical labelling, be in supporting future growth and brand equity?
Baked Goods in South Africa - Category analysis
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Players invest in promotional strategies to sustain demand
Price pressures constrain volume sales
Frozen baked goods leads growth
Premium offerings will drive growth
Baked goods industry responds to functional food trends
South Africa considers stricter food labelling rules
Simba maintains leadership through bread and dessert mixes
RCL and Tiger register robust growth
Supermarkets remains dominant distribution channel
E-commerce continues to gain ground
Staple Foods in South Africa - Industry Overview
Home cooking, price sensitivity and digital channels drive staple foods sales
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Staple food sales strengthen as home cooking dominates consumer habits
Rice, pasta and noodles benefit from shift towards affordable meal solutions
Price sensitivity shapes consumer choices
Steady growth expected as home cooking remains central
Retailers to seek alternative strategies as heavy promotions become unsustainable
E-commerce set for strong expansion
Tiger Brands maintains leadership through broad portfolio and operational streamlining
Private label captures consumer attention
Supermarkets remains primary channel
Small local grocers benefit from widespread presence
E-commerce is fastest-growing channel
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Baked Goods
-
-
- Packaged Flat Bread
- Unpackaged Flat Bread
-
- Packaged Leavened Bread
- Unpackaged Leavened Bread
-
-
- Packaged Cakes
- Unpackaged Cakes
- Dessert Mixes
- Frozen Baked Goods
-
- Packaged Pastries
- Unpackaged Pastries
-
- Sweet Pies and Tarts
- Frozen Cakes, Sweet Pies and Tarts
Baked Goods
This is the aggregation of bread, pastries, dessert mixes, frozen baked goods and cakes. Note: in most cases, baked goods from in-store bakeries are classified under unpackaged/artisanal. While many such offerings may be finished on-site, they are often prepared, then frozen or par-baked, at other locations. Such production models are very important for supermarket in-store bakeries, which are often used to drive traffic and fill stores with appetising aromas, but for which the labour resources required to run a full-service scratch bakery are not always available. Baked goods baked from central bakeries sold unpackaged in other outlets are classified as unpackaged/artisanal. In the specific case of in-store bakery counters (for example, in supermarkets), if baked goods are finished on-site but then packaged (for example, in a box or bag) with a barcode and price, set out in the store for sale in this packaging and sold like any other packaged food product (i.e. a customer takes the packaged item from a shelf) then this is classified as packaged. If however the baked good is finished on-site, displayed unpackaged but then placed in packaging as part of the transaction (i.e. a supermarket worker at an in-store bakery counter/a customer places it in a box/bag after it has been chosen, to allow it to be carried safely) this is still classified as unpackaged.
See all of our definitionsWhy buy this report?
- Gain competitive intelligence about market leaders
- Track key industry trends, opportunities and threats
- Inform your marketing, brand, strategy and market development, sales and supply functions
This report originates from Passport, our Baked Goods research and analysis database.
NEW REPORT GUARANTEE
If you purchase a report that is updated in the next 60 days, we will send you the new edition and data extraction Free!