Beauty and skincare products are dominating South African shelves, with the sector expected to grow significantly in the near future.
According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), a data and research platform, international brands dominate South Africa’s beauty and skincare sector.
The data shows that these products account for approximately 90% of market sales. Despite a growing local industry, the market is heavily driven by imported products from countries like Italy, France, Poland, and the US.
According to market research firm Euromonitor International, South Africa’s beauty market grew 7% year on year to reach $3.9 billion in 2024, which is over R65 billion at current conversion rates, outpacing the 0.6% GDP growth at the time.
Retail Therapy Strategic Consulting General Manager Nick Hunt said that the local skincare sector is expected to grow from nearly R14 billion ($832.76 million) in 2025 to nearly R21 billion ($1.25 billion) by 2031.
This growth is mirrored across the continent, with countries like Nigeria and Ethiopia experiencing the most growth by 2024.
“What the data confirms is what we are seeing on the ground every day. This category is growing because consumers are demanding more from it, not because of clever marketing, but because the products are delivering visible results,” said Hunt.
The retail performance of this sector is also growing. South Africa’s largest pharmacy retailer, Clicks, recorded a 7.4% rise in beauty and personal care sales in the 2025 financial year, now generating more revenue than pharmaceuticals.
In its 2025 financial results, Clicks reported that the beauty and personal care sector recorded the highest retail sales growth, surpassing the 6.9% recorded in the pharmacy sector.
Additionally, Clicks’ market share rose to 43.8% in 2025 for skincare, up slightly from 43.6% in 2024, while its share in retail pharmacy was 24% in 2025.
“Much of this momentum is being driven by a younger, digitally fluent consumer who has grown up with dermatological information readily available online,” said Hunt.
A survey of 7,000 South African Gen Z consumers revealed that skincare is the leading beauty category, with 94% purchasing products in this category and 57% buying beauty items directly through social media platforms.
A shift in skincare
The dermocosmetics market, which bridges the gap between dermatology and cosmetics with scientifically developed skincare, had a global value of $47.91 billion in 2025, which is nearly R810 billion.
Management Consulting company McKinsey predicts that skincare will account for approximately 40% of the global beauty industry’s value by 2030.
“At the same time, 68% of consumers worldwide now actively seek skincare formulated with clinically active ingredients,” said Hunt.
“Search data tells a similar story, with ingredients such as salicylic acid, retinol and niacinamide ranking among the most frequently searched skincare terms on Google; not because of advertising, but because consumers are actively educating themselves.”
Research shows that consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the ingredients in skincare products, prioritising products with before-and-after reviews, dermatologist approval, and scientific backing.
“The shift we are seeing is not just about product preference. It’s about a fundamentally different relationship between the consumer and the category,” he said.
“South Africans have become genuinely ingredient-literate. They are approaching skincare the way they approach health; with questions, with scepticism, and with high expectations.”
Social media is reportedly highly influential in sharing skincare knowledge, which, according to consumer analysts, has raised retailers’ expectations in the sector.
Consumers are now focused on building intentional routines that target their concerns, such as acne, pigmentation or sun damage, rather than simply buying products that do not specify a targeted cause.
“Retailers need to start thinking less like beauty merchants and more like skin health advisors,” said Hunt.
“That means organising shelves around concerns rather than brands, investing in clearer on-shelf education, and curating ranges that offer genuine clinical credibility.”
He argued that brands which merge science with transparent communication will shape this sector in the coming decade.
