Africa Packaging - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts 2019 - 2029

Africa Packaging - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts 2019 - 2029

The Africa Packaging Market size is estimated at USD 43.48 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 52.52 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 3.85% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

Key Highlights

• An increasing number of young consumers is driving the market, increasing demand for consumer goods, rising individual incomes, and expanding domestic economies, particularly in East and West Africa.
• With increasing urbanization and mobility, African consumers are looking for products that offer the best value for money, such as bulk, discounted, and smaller packs. It can be an advantage for vendors to go for attractive packaging to encourage and boost sales. Moreover, the growing concern regarding the packaging of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and other household products is driving the market for glass containers and bottles as they offer an aesthetic charm to people and are recyclable.
• Furthermore, companies are willing to bring better technology, technical expertise, and patience to find local partners. For instance, in October 2022, Austria-based Alpla Group, an international plastic packaging, and recycling specialist, expanded its footprint in South Africa by building a new facility in Lanseria, Gauteng Province, near Johannesburg.
• One of the significant challenges impeding packaging market growth is high packaging manufacturing costs. Paper pulp is a primary raw material used in paper packaging manufacturing. It is widely used in manufacturing corrugated boxes, cardboard boxes, folding cartons, and paper bags, among other types of packaging. The price of paper pulp has constantly been fluctuating. Similarly, the plastic packaging industry is also dependent on crude oil, and crude oil prices are also volatile. Furthermore, the Russia-Ukraine war has an impact on the overall packaging ecosystem.
• With the outbreak of COVID-19, packaging manufacturers faced supply chain disruption along with decreasing manufacturing at the site in many parts of Africa. For instance, paper and packaging company Mondi announced the temporary suspension of production at its Merebank mill in South Africa, which has a production capacity of 270,000 tonnes annually.

Africa Packaging Market Trends

Glass Bottles to Drive the Market Growth

• Glass containers and bottles are widely used by end-user industries like pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and wine. As more and more population of the region is turning toward eco-friendly solutions to increase their contribution, glass packaging is expected to grow in the region. Moreover, glass packaging is seen as an endless recyclable alternative to plastic packaging. Glass can be 100% recycled and reusable without losing quality.
• South Africa is a wine-consuming country. Although the international trend is shifting toward wine in cans, the country is expected to continue to be a strong glass market for a significant amount of time before it can follow.
• The African glass bottles and container market is highly competitive, and the players who fail to streamline their operations are exiting the business. Nampak, a South Africa-based diversified packaging manufacturer, has been forced to sell its glass business due to high fixed costs and expenditures, leading to inadequate financial returns. It was sold to Isanti Glass (Kwande Capital-owned) for ZAR 1.5 billion (USD 125 million).
• One of the significant drivers of glass bottles is the growing drive by the local tourism industry to stop using plastic bottles. This is expected to create a massive opportunity for companies to produce Glass in the region. Moreover, according to Glass Recycling Company (TGRC), the current glass recycling rate in South Africa is 44%, which further adds to the market's growth.
• Furthermore, the wine industry in South Africa is spread across several cultivation areas. According to the industry body, South African Wine Industry Information & Systems (SAWIS), the wine grape crop is estimated to be 1,378,737 tonnes 2022. It is 5.5% lower than the crop for 2021, but it is higher than the fi)ve-year average of 1,346,024 tonnes.
• The South African wine and brandy industry is continuing to rebuild after two years of severe disruptions due to domestic sales bans and global trade barriers; the industry has revised its strategic plan (WISE) towards 2025, which includes a specific focus on global and local market access, transformation, and sustainability. The framework and key performance indicators are also included in the recently signed Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP). This can ensure a far more favorable production and trading environment for wine within the broader agricultural sector. According to data published by Vinpro, South Africa's total wine export volume grew by 22% to 388 million liters in 2021.

Beverage Industry to Lead the Market Growth

• Beverages hold the maximum market share in the market studied. With consumers getting increasingly careful about what they consume and what material is packaged, the focus on packaging is increased, further driving the market growth.
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the consumers of alcohol in the region are some of the heaviest drinkers globally, which boosts the market growth. Also, the increase in demand from soft-drink vendors is helping bottle packaging solution providers and packaging vendors increase their capacities in the region.
• Moreover, market players in the region are trying out various innovations for beverage packaging. For instance, in September 2022, Voltic Ltd, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa's (CCBA) subsidiary, launched Hollandia's Choco Malt brand in Ghana. Malted drinks containing milk are sold in aseptic cartons, and the company is also planning to sell them in cans with modern graphics and branding.
• Sales of energy drinks are growing significantly faster than carbonated drinks. There is increasing demand for low or no-alcohol drink substitutes, low-calorie and low-sugar options, health drinks, and sustainable packaging resulting in the launch of fruit juice blends in returnable glass bottles and canned water.
• Numerous players compete for the top spot in the vast food and beverage retail market. Food and beverage retail market players research various aspects such as lifestyle changes, evolving drink preferences, and the preferences of people in a specific area and develop food and beverage items accordingly. This aspect allows the players to earn a lot of money.

Africa Packaging Industry Overview

The Africa Packaging Market is moderately competitive. The players in the market are continuously focusing on expanding their customer base across the countries of Africa and leveraging strategic collaborative initiatives to increase their market share and increase their profitability. Some of the key developments in the market are:

In July 2022, Ardagh Glass Packaging Africa announced the commissioning of a ZAR 1.5 billion (USD 95 million) extension of its Nigel production facility in Gauteng, South Africa. The investment doubled the facility's capacity to provide sustainable glass packaging to support the company's customers' current and projected demand growth and incorporates a new furnace and production lines.

In March 2022, Elopak ASA completed the acquisition of Naturepak Beverage, a leading gable top fresh liquid carton and packaging systems supplier in the MENA region, from Naturepak Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gulf Industrial Group, and Evergreen Packaging International LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pactiv Evergreen Inc.

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