#OnShelf: Hello Summer!

by Louise Burgers. Love all the new product launches for Summer that are coming our way, from Pick n Pay; BOS; Xiaomi; and Game asks consumers to name their favourite brands.

New traditional Mzansi-inspired product range

Pick n Pay has launched a uniquely South African range of products reflecting the country’s best in look and flavour. Africa Rise, with five signature local flavours, brings some of the country’s most-loved traditional local dishes closer to shoppers. The five signature flavours: Chakalaka, Chicken Dust, Nyama, Sweet Tomato Gravy and Atchar, are now available across multiple product ranges, including cook-in sauces, peanuts, potato crisps, fresh meat and poultry, and breads. “Truly traditional South African meals are a staple in many homes, but are often missed when people move to cities. Our Africa Rise range brings these local flavours to your closest Pick n Pay, and we hope it will encourage more people to enjoy our shared heritage,” says Nicki Russell, head of product, merchandise at Pick n Pay. The traditional flavours were designed following extensive research and collaboration with South Africans who revealed some of their favourite popular dishes, and the names were selected based on the unique ways referred to these on local streets.

Adding colour to Summer days

BOS Brands is splashing out this summer in fun and colourful style by launching the BOS Variety Pack containing all of your favourite BOS Ice Teas. Taking its inspiration from the melting pot that is our rainbow nation, the BOS Variety Pack is designed as an ode to South Africa and celebrates its uniqueness. The colourful pack contains eight 330ml Ice Tea cans. two of each flavour of Lemon, Peach, Berry and Lime & Ginger. Will Battersby, CEO of BOS Brands says: “We have launched a host of new organic rooibos based products in the last 18 months – our health shots, our Fruit Icys and recently our BOSpresso rooibos espresso, and we thought it was important this summer to celebrate the originals that our fans love. The BOS Variety Pack is available on the BOS Online store for R99.99.

More than hot air

Xiaomi’s new Air Fryer, the Mi Smart Air Fryer 3.5L, is now available in South Africa and will initially be sold exclusively on Mobile in Africa’s ecommerce store. The smart product connects over Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi and is supported by the Mi Home App. It also works with Google Assistant and Alexa. According to Google Trends, which tracks popular search data, air fryer related queries grew by more than 5,000% in South Africa over the past 12 months. Globally, the demand for air fryers has been stimulated by an increasingly health-conscious consumer. The multi-functional Mi Smart Air Fryer cooking product includes eight pre-set modes, including one for baking cakes. And the 360-degree hot air circulation allows cooking food with less oil and lower fat. The Mi Smart Air Fryer performs as a food dehydrator, a microwave oven, a food defroster, and a yoghurt maker. More than 100 easy-to-cook recipes can be accessed through the Mi Home App. MIA marketing manager, Leanne Goott, describes the product as a gorgeous all-in-one machine. “It boasts elegant chrome accents on a white base, it’s simple to use, and it takes up minimal space, making it perfect for any kitchen. Another key benefit is that it cooks in less time than an oven takes and uses far less electricity.” The Mi Smart Air Fryer 3.5L will retail for R2,099.

SURVEY: Game asks consumers for their fav products

In the run up to Heritage Day, Game ran a consumer survey to find out which products are most closely tied to our heritage as South Africans. The survey found that the majority of South Africans are using food, beauty and household products that tie back to their experiences as children. Eating together emerged as an incredibly important way for respondents to not only honour, but also celebrate, their heritage. Most respondents agreed that the traditional braai is how they enjoy celebrating and spend time with family – across demographics and age groups. Some respondents said they cook over the fire every weekend, while some kept this practice to special occasions only.

When asked about the food products that taste of home, however, the top five products were:

• Biltong
• Koo Baked Beans
• Ultra Mel Custard
• Amarula Cream Liqueur
• Nik Naks

Also featured in the top 10 were:

• Castle Lager Beer
• Lay’s Potato Chips
• Peppermint Crisp
• Fritos
• Flings

On their tables, and as an accompaniment to any meal, South Africans votes All Gold (76%) and Aromat (71%) as their most loved items; followed by Chakalaka (67%) and Mrs. Balls Chutney (65%). Stoney Ginger Beer was identified as the most popular drink for celebrating Heritage Day – interestingly, most loved by those in the Free State and Northern Cape – followed by Oros and Amarula Cream Liquer. Meanwhile, respondents from KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Free State and the North West were most likely to enjoy traditional Umqombothi as part of their celebrations. Personal care brands like Ingrams, Nivea, Dove and Ponds were linked back to nostalgia around childhood experiences, while healthcare items like Caster Oil, Imbola, and Amabele were identified as products that have been passed down over generations that still form part of our everyday lives as South Africans.

Main image credit: BOS Brands.

Louise Burgers is the Publisher and Editor and Co-Founder of RetailingAfrica.com. She has spent over 20 years writing about the FMCG retailing, marketing, media and advertising industry in South Africa and on the African continent. She has specialised in local and Africa consumer trends and is a passionate Afro-optimist who believes it is Africa’s time to rise again and that the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) will be a global gamechanger in the next decade.

– Receive the Retailing Africa newsletter every Wednesday • Subscribe here.