New research reveals South Africans are buying chocolate less often as soaring cocoa prices fuel higher costs, shrinkflation and changing consumer habits.
Zuko Komisa
South Africans are cutting back on their weekly chocolate habits as rising costs squeeze household budgets.
Research from consumer insights firm Eighty20 reveals that weekly consumption has fallen from 50% to 44%.
Despite this decline, chocolate remains a deeply ingrained national favourite, with local preferences heavily divided by age and gender.
For instance, Lunch Bar has officially overtaken Bar-One as the country’s top choice, while sales of Clicks-brand chocolate slabs have surged by an impressive 124% year-on-year.
This drop in frequency is largely driven by severe global supply chain disruptions. Droughts in West Africa, the source of most of the world’s cocoa, have triggered massive supply shocks, sending cocoa prices soaring to an unprecedented $10 000 per tonne (about R164 000).
Kaya Biz with Gugulethu Mfuphi spoke to Andrew Fulton, Director at Eighty20 who shared that manufacturers are reshaping their retail strategies and that consumers are facing “shrinkflation,” paying significantly more for noticeably smaller chocolate bars.
“Chocolate continues to be one of our most beloved guilty pleasures a small indulgence that delivers big on satisfaction.”
“It’s worth remembering that behind every bar is a fascinating intersection of consumer psychology, global economics and innovative marketing.” says Andrew Fulton, Director at Eighty20.
Listen to the full conversation here:
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