Fresh food in 2024: The big picture
Overall demand for fresh food in South Africa continues to rise in 2024, albeit slowly, with an increasing number of local consumers finding themselves in a better financial position compared to the previous year due to factors such as lower food inflation and decreased interest rates. The outcome of the South African national election, which saw the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU), has also boosted the positive outlook.
2024 key trends
Culture plays a major role in South African cooking with the nation being diverse and dynamic. However, while culture is central to the meals local consumers cook at home, social media plays a significant role in providing inspiration for quick and easy meals.
Retailing developments
In a similar trend to the previous year, affordability remains a concern to consumers and they continue their quest to find the best “deal” and better value for money. While mid-income South Africans continue to largely support supermarkets, there has been a shift among more price-sensitive consumers towards informal markets.
What next for fresh food?
The outlook for fresh food in South Africa is one of cautious optimism, given the positive economic outlook and political stability following the local election. However, several challenges, such as elevated food inflation, high unemployment rates and uncertainty over the stability of the power grid, are expected to remain prevalent over the forecast period.
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 Fresh Food 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 the following key categories, where applicable:
- Eggs
- Fish and Seafood
- Fruits
- Meat
- Nuts
- Pulses
- Starchy Roots
- Sugar and Sweeteners
- Vegetables
If you're in the Fresh Food 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 Fresh Food 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
- 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 Fresh Food in South Africa?
- What is the impact of commodity price fluctuations on local production and consumption?
- What are the key campaigns or legislation driving Fresh Food sales?
- How are consumer attitudes towards fresh food evolving?
- How significant is health and wellness in shaping consumer demand?
- Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?
Fresh Food in South Africa
Fresh food in 2024: The big picture
2024 key trends
Retailing developments
What next for fresh food?
DISCLAIMER
Eggs in South Africa
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Egg prices continue to soar amid bird flu outbreak
Despite rise of home-based businesses, price increases dampen consumption
Growth opportunity if egg prices stabilise
Largest producer acquires new breed to improve efficiencies and reduce risks in egg production
Fish and Seafood in South Africa
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Price increases for fish and seafood force consumers to purchase more affordable shelf stable options
Sustainability factor increasingly influences choice of fish and seafood
Growth potential for fish and seafood by meeting health and sustainability criteria
Aquaculture could play a greater role in increasing seafood consumption
Fruits in South Africa
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Mixed performance for fruits during the year
Frooties launched by Shoprite Checkers, offering child-friendly fruit snacks
Affordability remains a key priority for fresh fruit sales
Optimistic outlook as consumers incorporate higher fruit content into their diets
Meat in South Africa
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Consumer demand remains low despite meat prices stabilising
Rainbow Chicken unbundled from RCL Foods despite industry challenges
Poultry prices expected to stabilise after recent fluctuations
Plan to launch shelf stable chicken could increase competition for fresh options
Nuts in South Africa
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Oversupply of nuts encourages players to expand into packaged food
Competition from processed nuts as consumers seek convenience
Growing global health trend offers opportunity for nuts
Increased local production has potential to provide more affordable nuts
Pulses in South Africa
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Growing flexitarian trend drives dynamic growth of other pulses
Affordable private label options continue to attract price-sensitive consumers to pulses
Plant-based trend creates further opportunity for other pulses
Pulses such as beans are important crops for rotation
Starchy Roots in South Africa
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Home cooking continues to drive demand for starchy roots
High yields and diverse planting of potatoes slow down price increases in South Africa
Sweet potatoes can potentially combat malnutrition in South Africa
Sustainability to become greater area of focus over the forecast period
Sugar and Sweeteners in South Africa
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Sugar producers continue to face challenges in South Africa
Health promotion levy remains a threat to local industry
Sugar producers will continue to feel the threat of global health trend
Sustainability to become greater area of focus over the forecast period
Vegetables in South Africa
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Vegetables continue to benefit from home cooking
Improving weather conditions and reduced power outages lead to slower pace of price increases for vegetables
Sustainability to become greater focus area over the forecast period
Processed vegetables provide competition due to convenience trend
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Fresh Food
- Eggs
-
- Crustaceans
- Fish
- Molluscs and Cephalopods
-
- Apples
- Banana
- Cherries
- Cranberries/Blueberries
- Grapefruit/Pomelo
- Grapes
- Kiwi Fruit
- Lemon and Limes
- Oranges, Tangerines and Mandarins
- Peaches/Nectarines
- Pears/Quinces
- Pineapple
- Plums/Sloes
- Strawberries
- Other Fruits
-
- Beef and Veal
- Lamb, Mutton and Goat
- Pork
- Poultry
- Other Meat
-
- Almonds
- Coconuts
- Peanuts (Groundnuts)
- Pistachio
- Walnuts
- Other Nuts
-
- Beans
- Peas
- Other Pulses
-
- Cassava
- Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Other Roots
- Sugar and Sweeteners
-
- Cauliflowers and broccoli
- Maize
- Onion
- Tomatoes
- Other Vegetables
Fresh Food
Fresh Food refers only to fresh uncooked and unprocessed foods (packaged and unpackaged). Packaged sugar products and natural sweeteners (e.g. brown sugar, table sugar, molasses) are also included. For Fresh Food, we research total sales across distribution channels including retail, foodservice and institutions. For a selected 18 markets, we have a breakdown of total fresh food sales according to the following formats: • Retail • Foodservice sales • Institutional sales Retail Retail sales is defined as sales through all legal establishments primarily engaged in the sale of fresh, packaged and prepared foods for home preparation and consumption. Retail sales excludes sales to hotels, restaurants, cafés, duty free sales and institutional sales (canteens, prisons/jails, hospitals, army, etc). Our retail definition excludes the purchase of food products from foodservice outlets for consumption off-premises, eg grilled chicken/meat/fish bought from counters of cafés/bars. This falls under foodservice sales. For foodservice, we capture all sales to foodservice outlets, regardless of whether the products are eventually consumed on-premise or off-premise. We estimate sales through the following channels: Modern Grocery Retailers • Supermarkets • Hypermarkets • Discounters • Convenience stores • Forecourt retailers Traditional Grocery Retailers • Independent small grocers • Food/Drink/Tobacco Specialists • Other grocery retailers (morning/speciality/open/wet/farmers’ markets, stalls and kiosks, etc) Non-grocery retailers • Health and beauty specialist retailers • Other non-grocery retailers Non-store retailers • Homeshopping • Internet retailing • Vending • Direct selling Foodservice Foodservice sales are defined as sales TO consumer foodservice outlets that serve the general public in a non-captive environment. In other words, this means that the foodservice volumes track sales of all fresh food going into restaurant kitchens, regardless of what the restaurant actually does with that food. Foodservice outlets include cafés/bars, FSR (full-service restaurants), fast food, 100% home delivery/takeaway, self-service cafeterias and street stalls/kiosks. Sales to semi-captive foodservice outlets are also included. This describes outlets located in leisure, travel and retail environments. • Retail refers to foodservice units located in retail outlets such as department stores, shopping malls, shopping centres, super/hypermarkets etc. • Leisure refers to foodservice units located in leisure establishments such as museums, health clubs, cinemas, theatres, theme parks and sports stadiums. • Travel refers to foodservice units based in airports, rail stations, coach stations, motorway service stations offering gas facilities etc. Institutional sales Institutional sales is defined as sales to captive foodservice units that serve captive populations such as in hospitals, schools, prisons, military camps, hotels, hostels, nursing homes, homes for elderly people, religious houses, etc.
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 Fresh Food 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!