South Africa’s increasing meat consumption has largely been driven by rising demand for chicken, according to an analysis by the Animal Feed Manufacturers Association (AFMA).
The analysis is published in the January edition of Matrix, AFMA’s quarterly publication.
From 1980 to the early 2000s total per capita meat consumption per year remained relatively steady, fluctuating between 40 to 45kg per person. This was followed by a sharp increase to around 61.5kg per capita.
“This significant surge was primarily driven by increased poultry consumption, as chicken became an increasingly affordable and popular protein source compared to more expensive red meats such as beef and mutton,” AFMA said.
Poultry per capita consumption almost doubled from 11.6kg/capita/year in 1980 to 21.7kg/capita/year in 2000, largely at the expense of red meat consumption (beef, mutton, goat).
Between 2000 and 2020, chicken consumption increased further to 38.7kg/capita/year, contributing 60% of the total South African meat consumption in 2020. In contrast, the proportion of beef in meat consumption decreased from 33% in 2000 to 26% in 2020.
Price was a major factor in consumer buying patterns, AFMA said.
“The consumption trends in South Africa indicate a strong consistent demand for affordable protein sources, particularly poultry, which is expected to remain the primary focus for feed manufacturers.
“Rising prices across all meat categories impacted consumer purchasing power, placing more pressure on affordability and amplifying the demand for poultry.”
