South Africa’s FMCG market is showing signs of recovery, with consumer spending returning to growth in 2025 after declining the previous year. At the same time, local and regional brands continue to hold a strong position among South African shoppers.
According to the latest Brand Footprint 2026 analysis from Worldpanel by Numerator, FMCG consumer spending increased by 3.3% in 2025, reversing the 2.4% decline recorded in 2024.
Local and regional brands accounted for 61% of Consumer Reach Points (CRPs) among South Africa’s top 100 most chosen FMCG brands, highlighting their continued relevance among local households.
Consumer Reach Points measure the number of households a brand reaches and how frequently those households choose it, providing a measure of brand choice across categories and markets.
South African households made approximately 3.9 billion brand choices in 2025, underlining the scale and competitiveness of the country's FMCG market.
However, the recovery in spending has not translated into growth for all brands.
Among the top 100 FMCG brands, 49% increased their Consumer Reach Points compared with the previous year, while 51% declined. In value terms, however, 62% of the top 100 brands recorded growth.
“This is an important shift for South Africa’s FMCG market. Spending has returned to growth, but the benefits are not being shared equally across brands. Consumers remain highly selective about where they spend their money, and the continued strength of local and regional brands shows just how important relevance remains,” said Nick Barrett, country manager of Worldpanel by Numerator South Africa.
Reach remains a key growth opportunity
The latest analysis suggests that scale alone does not guarantee continued growth.
Seventy-eight percent of the top 100 brands are classified as large or super brands, reaching more than 30% of households and collectively accounting for 94% of total Consumer Reach Points among the top 100.
Despite this level of reach, there is still room for established brands to attract new shoppers. Almost half (46%) of the top 100 brands reach fewer than 50% of South African households.
The route to growth also differs depending on a brand's size. While larger brands with extensive household penetration can focus on increasing purchase frequency, medium and smaller brands have greater opportunities to grow by reaching more households.
Among brands that increased their Consumer Reach Points by more than 2.5% in 2025, nearly eight in 10 achieved growth through a combination of increased penetration and purchase frequency.
Coca-Cola leads South Africa’s brand choices
Coca-Cola remained South Africa’s most chosen FMCG brand in 2025, generating 180m Consumer Reach Points.
It was followed by Sunlight (138,4m), Albany (128,3m), Sasko (127,7m) and Clover (125,1m).
Albany moved up two positions to become the country's third most chosen FMCG brand, while Sasko and Clover each moved down one position.
For brands looking to build on the recovery in consumer spending, the findings point to the importance of combining household reach with purchase frequency.
“The brands that are succeeding are not relying on scale alone. Sustainable growth comes from remaining relevant enough to attract more households while giving existing buyers more reasons to choose the brand again. Understanding the balance between reach and frequency is therefore critical to identifying where the next growth opportunity will come from,” added Barrett.
