Market Overview

The South Africa packaging market is anticipated to convert to an extraordinary growth region for the packaging industry, with demand being driven and determined by increased markets for consumer products, growing individual incomes, an increasing population of young consumers and rising domestic economic state. Antagonistic to some commonly held perceptions, the region’s growth is expected not to be chiefly driven by commodities. For instance, eight of the twelve fastest-growing economies in Africa don’t depend on natural resources for their prosperity.

  • With augmented urbanization and mobility becoming the norm or standard in societies in Africa and across the world, the move towards small packs and multipacks is becoming more significant. For manufacturers and makers, this trend will make opportunities to encourage brand switching. Traders will adopt these products as they save shelf space and depend on attractive packaging to encourage and boost sales.
  • Speedy urbanization and better health awareness have also seen an increase in the consumption of food and beverage products, as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Increasingly this accounts for fluctuations in packaging trends with glass containers and bottles offering an aesthetic charm to people who want to be related to the sense of timeless prestige that this packaging material deals with.
  • Greatly fragmented markets caused by the presence of numerous players in South Africa, as well as globally, has disrupted and delayed the growth of the overall packaging market, as stout price competition has led to vendors dropping the prices of products to remain reasonable and inexpensive.



Scope of the Report

The packaging is a portion of the multi-faceted system for providing products from the point of manufacture to the point of consumption. Its principal purpose is to guard the product and ensure it is delivered safely and securely and in flawless and perfect conditions to the end-user (manufacturer of product or consumer). Its role in a circular economy is to sustain the value in a product for as long as required and to help remove product waste. It is a sector ripe for future and upcoming innovation.

Key Market Trends

Strictly Regulation of Packaging Industry in Relation to Environmental Management

  • Similar to developments facing other manufacturing industries is a worldwide concern for the environment. Environmental damage subsequently from inappropriate disposal of used packaging materials – together with their residues - is no longer accepted.
  • In South Africa, responsible packaging management is a deep-rooted and respected practice in the packaging industry. The purpose and resolution of responsible packaging management are to address legal, economic and regulatory concerns connected with container use. (Responsible Packaging Management Association of South Africa).
  • The requirement of looking after the environment has led to the development and growth of the recycling and reconditioning industries as they process old packaging materials into fresh materials in an environmentally welcoming and friendly manner.
  • The implementation and execution of the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs Regulations had the main impact on the packaging industry and the way in which packaging is designed and manufactured. The packaging is a precarious factor influencing the consumer’s purchasing decisions.



The Increasing Preference Among Individuals to Lead a Healthier Lifestyle Drives Home Care Packaging

  • In recent years, the home care products market in South Africa has witnessed a lot of growth due to the increasing preference among individuals to lead a healthier lifestyle. Demand for home care products has been on an upward trend especially as the consumers, with growing health awareness, tend to avoid expensive medical care costs.
  • To keep up with this demand (for home care products), the home care packaging industry has ramped up their offerings to differentiate between multiple packaging solutions, conveying useful information, without compromising on the safety standards. The packaging market for this segment is set to record high growth during the forecast period.
  • Despite the economic setbacks, demand for home healthcare products has never declined, and directly proportional to that is the requirement for packaging solutions. Driven by advantages like durability, cost benefits, and versatility, plastic is one of the packaging materials majorly used by companies.
  • Research and development for increased durability and safety found new entrants into the industry, which include polymers like PLA, biodegradable PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), bio PTT (polytrimethyl terephthalate), etc., slowly getting acceptance. However, high cost poses a challenge to their sustainability in the long run.



Competitive Landscape

The South Africa packaging market is moderately competitive and consists of some major players. In terms of market share, few of these major players currently dominate the market. These major players with a prominent share in the market are focusing on expanding their customer base across foreign countries. These companies are leveraging strategic collaborative initiatives to increase their market share and increase their profitability.

  • April 2019 - Global packaging leader, Amcor, joined with MassChallenge Switzerland, part of MassChallenge’s global network of zero-equity start-up accelerators, to identify and support start-up companies doing innovative work in sustainability and packaging.
  • April 2019 - Amcor launched unique, recyclable, high-barrier flexible packaging that can reduce a pack’s carbon footprint by up to 64%.



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