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Staple Foods in South Africa

Published Mar 23, 2026
Length 68 Pages
SKU # EP21075194

Description

In 2025, staple foods remained central to home cooking in South Africa, with households prioritising essential items amid tight budgets and rising prices for red meat and vegetables. Rice, pasta, and noodles provided affordable meal solutions, while price sensitivity continued to guide consumer choices over health or sustainability claims, strengthening the appeal of private label offerings. Supermarkets dominated distribution, while e-commerce emerged as the fastest-growing channel, offering co...

Euromonitor International's Staple Foods in South Africa report offers in-depth knowledge of the market at a national level, providing local insight and understanding unavailable elsewhere. In addition to the latest retail sales data 2021-2025, it identifies the leading companies, brands and retail outlets, and assesses the key trends and demographic shifts behind consumer demand and sales growth. How key trends such as health and wellness, sustainability and recovery from the pandemic are currently shaping the market along with prospects for the next five years, clearly indicating how the market is expected to change.

Product coverage: Baked Goods, Breakfast Cereals, Processed Fruit and Vegetables, Processed Meat, Seafood and Alternatives to Meat, Rice, Pasta and Noodles.

Data coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares, brand shares and distribution data.

Why buy this report??
* Get a detailed picture of the Staple Foods market;
* Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change;
* Understand the competitive environment, the market’s major players and leading brands;
* Use five-year forecasts to assess how the market is predicted to develop.

Table of Contents

68 Pages
Staple Foods in South Africa
Euromonitor International
March 2026
List Of Contents And Tables
STAPLE FOODS IN SOUTH AFRICA
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Home cooking, price sensitivity and digital channels drive staple foods sales
KEY DATA FINDINGS
INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE
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
WHAT’S NEXT?
Steady growth expected as home cooking remains central
Retailers to seek alternative strategies as heavy promotions become unsustainable
E-commerce set for strong expansion
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Tiger Brands maintains leadership through broad portfolio and operational streamlining
Private label captures consumer attention
CHANNELS
Supermarkets remains primary channel
Small local grocers benefit from widespread presence
E-commerce is fastest-growing channel
MARKET DATA
Table 1 Sales of Staple Foods by Category: Volume 2020-2025
Table 2 Sales of Staple Foods by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 3 Sales of Staple Foods by Category: % Volume Growth 2020-2025
Table 4 Sales of Staple Foods by Category: % Value Growth 2020-2025
Table 5 NBO Company Shares of Staple Foods: % Value 2021-2025
Table 6 LBN Brand Shares of Staple Foods: % Value 2022-2025
Table 7 Penetration of Private Label by Category: % Value 2020-2025
Table 8 Distribution of Staple Foods by Format: % Value 2020-2025
Table 9 Forecast Sales of Staple Foods by Category: Volume 2025-2030
Table 10 Forecast Sales of Staple Foods by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 11 Forecast Sales of Staple Foods by Category: % Volume Growth 2025-2030
Table 12 Forecast Sales of Staple Foods by Category: % Value Growth 2025-2030
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
BAKED GOODS IN SOUTH AFRICA
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2025 DEVELOPMENTS
Players invest in promotional strategies to sustain demand
INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE
Price pressures constrain volume sales
Frozen baked goods leads growth
WHAT’S NEXT?
Premium offerings will drive growth
Baked goods industry responds to functional food trends
South Africa considers stricter food labelling rules
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Simba maintains leadership through bread and dessert mixes
RCL and Tiger register robust growth
CHANNELS
Supermarkets remains dominant distribution channel
E-commerce continues to gain ground
CATEGORY DATA
Table 13 Sales of Baked Goods by Category: Volume 2020-2025
Table 14 Sales of Baked Goods by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 15 Sales of Baked Goods by Category: % Volume Growth 2020-2025
Table 16 Sales of Baked Goods by Category: % Value Growth 2020-2025
Table 17 Sales of Pastries by Type: % Value 2020-2025
Table 18 NBO Company Shares of Baked Goods: % Value 2021-2025
Table 19 LBN Brand Shares of Baked Goods: % Value 2022-2025
Table 20 Distribution of Baked Goods by Format: % Value 2020-2025
Table 21 Forecast Sales of Baked Goods by Category: Volume 2025-2030
Table 22 Forecast Sales of Baked Goods by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 23 Forecast Sales of Baked Goods by Category: % Volume Growth 2025-2030
Table 24 Forecast Sales of Baked Goods by Category: % Value Growth 2025-2030
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
BREAKFAST CEREALS IN SOUTH AFRICA
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2025 DEVELOPMENTS
Price pressures shape demand
INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE
Sluggish demand amid rising costs
Muesli and granola leads growth
WHAT’S NEXT?
Volume sales will remain under pressure
Health and wellness will drive innovation
Changes to food labelling regulations await implementation
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Simba and Tiger face intensified competition
Vital Health Foods benefits from rising interest in healthier options
CHANNELS
Supermarkets leads distribution
E-commerce makes further gains
CATEGORY DATA
Table 25 Sales of Breakfast Cereals by Category: Volume 2020-2025
Table 26 Sales of Breakfast Cereals by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 27 Sales of Breakfast Cereals by Category: % Volume Growth 2020-2025
Table 28 Sales of Breakfast Cereals by Category: % Value Growth 2020-2025
Table 29 NBO Company Shares of Breakfast Cereals: % Value 2021-2025
Table 30 LBN Brand Shares of Breakfast Cereals: % Value 2022-2025
Table 31 Distribution of Breakfast Cereals by Format: % Value 2020-2025
Table 32 Forecast Sales of Breakfast Cereals by Category: Volume 2025-2030
Table 33 Forecast Sales of Breakfast Cereals by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 34 Forecast Sales of Breakfast Cereals by Category: % Volume Growth 2025-2030
Table 35 Forecast Sales of Breakfast Cereals by Category: % Value Growth 2025-2030
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
PROCESSED MEAT, SEAFOOD AND ALTERNATIVES TO MEAT IN SOUTH AFRICA
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2025 DEVELOPMENTS
Resilient demand amid budget pressures
INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE
Affordable protein options sustain consumer interest
Frozen processed poultry maintains momentum
WHAT’S NEXT?
Affordability will drive demand
Health and wellness trends will play increasingly important role
Proposed food labelling regulation could influence product positioning
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Oceana Brands retains leadership despite gradual share erosion
RCL leads growth as private label strengthens its impact
CHANNELS
Supermarkets remains primary channel
E-commerce continues to expand
CATEGORY DATA
Table 36 Sales of Processed Meat, Seafood and Alternatives to Meat by Category: Volume 2020-2025
Table 37 Sales of Processed Meat, Seafood and Alternatives to Meat by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 38 Sales of Processed Meat, Seafood and Alternatives to Meat by Category: % Volume Growth 2020-2025
Table 39 Sales of Processed Meat, Seafood and Alternatives to Meat by Category: % Value Growth 2020-2025
Table 40 Sales of Shelf Stable Processed Red Meat by Type: % Volume Breakdown 2020-2025
Table 41 Sales of Chilled Processed Red Meat by Type: % Volume Breakdown 2020-2025
Table 42 Sales of Frozen Processed Red Meat by Type: % Volume Breakdown 2020-2025
Table 43 Sales of Frozen Processed Poultry by Type: % Value Breakdown 2020-2025
Table 44 Sales of Frozen Processed Seafood by Type: % Value Breakdown 2020-2025
Table 45 NBO Company Shares of Processed Meat, Seafood and Alternatives to Meat: % Value 2021-2025
Table 46 LBN Brand Shares of Processed Meat, Seafood and Alternatives to Meat: % Value 2022-2025
Table 47 Distribution of Processed Meat, Seafood and Alternatives to Meat by Format: % Value 2020-2025
Table 48 Forecast Sales of Processed Meat, Seafood and Alternatives to Meat by Category: Volume 2025-2030
Table 49 Forecast Sales of Processed Meat, Seafood and Alternatives to Meat by Category: Value 2025-2030
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
PROCESSED FRUIT AND VEGETABLES IN SOUTH AFRICA
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2025 DEVELOPMENTS
Convenience and value drive growth
INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE
Demand remains robust amid budget pressures
Frozen processed vegetables leads growth
WHAT’S NEXT?
Processed fruit and vegetables to maintain its upward trajectory
Health and functional nutrition will increasingly shape consumer preferences
New food labelling regulations await implementation
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Tiger maintains leadership
Private label drives growth
CHANNELS
Supermarkets remains dominant channel
Small local grocers channel gains ground
CATEGORY DATA
Table 50 Sales of Processed Fruit and Vegetables by Category: Volume 2020-2025
Table 51 Sales of Processed Fruit and Vegetables by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 52 Sales of Processed Fruit and Vegetables by Category: % Volume Growth 2020-2025
Table 53 Sales of Processed Fruit and Vegetables by Category: % Value Growth 2020-2025
Table 54 Sales of Frozen Processed Vegetables by Type: % Value Breakdown 2020-2025
Table 55 NBO Company Shares of Processed Fruit and Vegetables: % Value 2021-2025
Table 56 LBN Brand Shares of Processed Fruit and Vegetables: % Value 2022-2025
Table 57 Distribution of Processed Fruit and Vegetables by Format: % Value 2020-2025
Table 58 Forecast Sales of Processed Fruit and Vegetables by Category: Volume 2025-2030
Table 59 Forecast Sales of Processed Fruit and Vegetables by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 60 Forecast Sales of Processed Fruit and Vegetables by Category: % Volume Growth 2025-2030
Table 61 Forecast Sales of Processed Fruit and Vegetables by Category: % Value Growth 2025-2030
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
RICE, PASTA AND NOODLES IN SOUTH AFRICA
KEY DATA FINDINGS
2025 DEVELOPMENTS
Affordability, innovation and convenience drive demand
INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE
Rice, pasta and noodles benefit from substitution trends
Noodles capitalises on rising popularity of Asian cuisine
WHAT’S NEXT?
Steady growth expected
Health and wellness trends impact consumer choices
Possible changes to food labelling regulations could impact new product development
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Tiger invests in operational efficiencies to remain competitive
Smaller instant noodle players drive growth
CHANNELS
Supermarkets leads distribution
E-commerce drives growth
CATEGORY DATA
Table 62 Sales of Rice, Pasta and Noodles by Category: Volume 2020-2025
Table 63 Sales of Rice, Pasta and Noodles by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 64 Sales of Rice, Pasta and Noodles by Category: % Volume Growth 2020-2025
Table 65 Sales of Rice, Pasta and Noodles by Category: % Value Growth 2020-2025
Table 66 Sales of Instant Noodles by Leading Flavours: Rankings 2020-2025
Table 67 NBO Company Shares of Rice, Pasta and Noodles: % Value 2021-2025
Table 68 LBN Brand Shares of Rice, Pasta and Noodles: % Value 2022-2025
Table 69 NBO Company Shares of Rice: % Value 2021-2025
Table 70 LBN Brand Shares of Rice: % Value 2022-2025
Table 71 NBO Company Shares of Pasta: % Value 2021-2025
Table 72 LBN Brand Shares of Pasta: % Value 2022-2025
Table 73 NBO Company Shares of Noodles: % Value 2021-2025
Table 74 LBN Brand Shares of Noodles: % Value 2022-2025
Table 75 Distribution of Rice, Pasta and Noodles by Format: % Value 2020-2025
Table 76 Distribution of Rice by Format: % Value 2020-2025
Table 77 Distribution of Pasta by Format: % Value 2020-2025
Table 78 Distribution of Noodles by Format: % Value 2020-2025
Table 79 Forecast Sales of Rice, Pasta and Noodles by Category: Volume 2025-2030
Table 80 Forecast Sales of Rice, Pasta and Noodles by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 81 Forecast Sales of Rice, Pasta and Noodles by Category: % Volume Growth 2025-2030
Table 82 Forecast Sales of Rice, Pasta and Noodles by Category: % Value Growth 2025-2030
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER

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