This study was compiled by market measurement firm, Nielsen-IQ, during the annual Plate of the Nation virtual Roundtable event 2021. 

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The report aims to understand the eating habits of South Africans and the challenges they face in adopting to a balanced plate. The report also provides a view on the improvement of South Africans’ accessibility, attitude and behaviour towards foods.

Based on factors affecting consumer behaviour since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the study found that many South Africans are giving up luxuries and focusing on the buying of necessities with cost being the primary consideration. According to the Nielsen report, with the ongoing declines in household income, and being financially worse off due to Covid-19, South African consumers’ current ability to spend is much lower (66%) than global average (48%) as such, people consider healthy food to be accessible, but rather expensive.

The Plate of the Nation study is based on an in-depth questionnaire conducted amongst the South African population aged 16+ comprising males and females of all races within the LSM 1-10 in urban and rural regions in South Africa. 

To understand the composition of the plate as well as understanding the attitudes towards food, what is consumed and the link to health; the study found that:

• 90% of South Africans are meat-eaters, while the rest are flexitarians (9%), vegetarians (3%), pescatarians (0.5%) and vegan (0.2%). As such, this demonstrates an increase of meat-eaters in 2021 compared to 2020 (84%).
• South Africans eat an average of two meals per day and there is a general decline in breakfast consumption.
• In South Africa, there is a decrease in meal occasions, 64% eat weekday breakfast, weekday lunch (71%), weekday dinner (83%), weekend breakfast (49%), weekend lunch (59%) and weekend dinner (66%).
• Breakfast remains the most carbohydrate (46%) heavy meal of the day with the least fruit and vegetables (4%), while lunch (48%) and dinner (68%) have meat as more of a focus.
• South Africa’s health status of non-communicable food-related diseases remains consistent from (14%) the previous year, 82% claims they are not suffering from any non-communicable diseases.

The pandemic has had an impact on food choices

The decline in household income due to Covid-19’s effect on businesses has left many South African consumers financially worse off. As such, this has created a situation where people are eating whatever they can afford. This in turn means that children are more likely to eat what their parents eat. While other people consider healthy food to be accessible, it is also considered to be expensive, as more people still have a low understanding of what a balanced plate looks like.

With people trying to eat healthy and consuming essential foods, there is a decline in the consumption of luxuries and treats such as chocolate, sweet biscuits, nuts and popcorn. Consumers are focusing on essential foods and opting to bulk buy to fit within their financial means. Consumers have deemed fresh food, staples and dairy to be essential foods but eat meat on a daily basis.

The findings show that 46% of South Africans eat more meat every day, two to three times per week in total (46%), once a week (7%) and two to three times per month (1%). This has shown a decline in people substituting beans for meat.

RPO Bulletin