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Latest food and beverages survey results looked at
​​​​Date: 24 July 2018
Category: Economics

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We take a look at the income earned by the food and beverages sector in South Africa per month over the last year. And growth in income in this sector has been minimal. But it is hardly surprising as though economic conditions have seen consumers cut back on "nice to haves" such as eating out at restaurants or grabbing take-aways or enjoying a few beers at the pub after a long work week

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Monthly income per food and beverages outlet type

Based on data supplied by Statistics South Africa the line chart below shows the monthly income earned by the main outlet types in the food and beverages sector. The main outlet types are:

• Restaurants and coffee shops
• Fast food and take-aways outlets
• Catering services (this includes pubs and bars)

Since the start of 2018 the main outlet types earned the following monthly average income:

• ​Restaurants and coffee shops: R2.299 billion a month
• Fast food and take-aways outlets: R1.516 billion a month
• Catering services (this includes pubs and bars): R575.52 million a month
• Total Industry: R4.39 billion a month

So far in 2018, restaurants and coffee shops makes up 52.4% of total income earned in the food and beverages industry, while fast food and take-away outlets makes up 34.5% of income earned in the sector and catering services (including pubs and bars) earns 13.1% of the total income of the industry. So by how much has the income generated in May 2018 grown compared to the income generated in May 2017? And has it grown at all?

The summary below shows the year on year growth in income generated by the main outlet types:

• ​Restaurants and coffee shops: 4.08%
• Fast food and take-aways outlets: 5.22%
• Catering services (this includes pubs and bars): -3.26%
• Total Industry: 3.44%

As the numbers above show, growth in the industry has been exceptionally slow, and these numbers have not been adjusted for inflation. When inflation is stripped out of the numbers the growth in income earned tells a totally different story. With May 2018 inflation coming in at 4.4%, taking the 4.4% inflation out of the growth numbers above then real income earned (income earned after removing the effects of inflation) over the last 12 months from May 2017 to May 2018 looks even worse:

•  ​Restaurants and coffee shops: -0.32%
• Fast food and take-aways outlets: 0.82%
• Catering services (this includes pubs and bars): -7.66%
• Total Industry: -0.96%

So real income growth was only experienced in the fast food and take-aways category over the last 12months, with restaurants and coffee shops actually earning -0.32% less in real income than the year before, and catering services (including bars and pubs) earning -7.66% less in real income in May 2018 compared to May 2017.  Clearly a sign of a struggling industry.

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