South Africa Cosmetics Market

South Africa Cosmetics Market Overview:

The South Africa cosmetics market size reached USD 2.94 Billion in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach USD 3.96 Billion by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 3.02% during 2025-2033. The market is driven by rising skincare and suncare usage, pharmacy-beauty retail expansion, and stronger compliance and ingredient transparency standards. Omnichannel investments by leading retailers and resilient demand for everyday beauty categories continue to support South Africa cosmetics market share, even amid cost-of-living pressures.

South Africa Cosmetics Market Trends:

Pharmacy and Beauty Retail Momentum

Pharmacy-led retail remains a key distribution engine for color cosmetics, skincare, and fragrances. Government statistics show the “pharmaceuticals and medical goods, cosmetics and toiletries” retailer category grew 6.4% year-on-year at current prices for Feb–Apr 2025, underscoring steady basket spend in beauty. Major chains are scaling as well: Dis-Chem reported group revenue up 8% to R39.2 billion for FY2025, with retail revenue up nearly 6%, reflecting sustained demand and network gains. Clicks also reported H1 FY2025 retail turnover up 6.4%, supported by store and pharmacy expansion, loyalty penetration, and private-label progress. Together, these data points indicate expanding shelf space, broader access, and improved product availability, drivers that lift category volumes and premiumization in urban and secondary nodes.

Sun Care and Skin Health Focus

Hotter conditions and public health messaging are lifting sunscreen and protective skincare usage. The South African Weather Service recorded 2024 as the hottest year since 1951, with the annual mean temperature ~0.9 °C above the 1991–2020 baseline—conditions that heighten UV awareness and daily SPF adoption. National health campaigns also keep sun smart behavior on the agenda during peak months, reinforcing prevention habits that translate into higher suncare category throughput. These climate and awareness tailwinds are encouraging retailers to expand SPF ranges, while brands tailor textures and tones for diverse skin types prevalent in South Africa. The combination of climate data and public initiatives supports sustained growth in SPF, after-sun, and protective skincare lines sold through pharmacies, supermarkets, and online channels. This, in turn, is influencing the South Africa cosmetics market growth.

South Africa Cosmetics Market Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the market, along with forecasts at the country and regional levels for 2025-2033. Our report has categorized the market based on product type, category, gender and distribution channel.

Product Type Insights:

• Skin and Sun Care Products
• Hair Care Products
• Deodorants and Fragrances
• Makeup and Color Cosmetics
• Others

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the product type. This includes skin and sun care products, hair care products, deodorants and fragrances, makeup and color cosmetics, and others.

Category Insights:

• Conventional
• Organic

A detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the category have also been provided in the report. This includes conventional and organic.

Gender Insights:

• Men
• Women
• Unisex

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the gender. This includes men, women, and unisex.

Distribution Channel Insights:

• Supermarkets and Hypermarkets
• Specialty Stores
• Pharmacies
• Online Stores

A detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the distribution channel have also been provided in the report. This includes supermarkets and hypermarkets, specialty stores, pharmacies, online stores, and others.

Regional Insights: 

• Gauteng
• KwaZulu-Natal 
• Western Cape
• Mpumalanga
• Eastern Cape
• Others

The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of all the major provinces, which include Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape, and others. 

Competitive Landscape:

The market research report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape. Competitive analysis such as market structure, key player positioning, top winning strategies, competitive dashboard, and company evaluation quadrant has been covered in the report. Also, detailed profiles of all major companies have been provided.

South Africa Cosmetics Market News:

• September 2024: H&M launched its H&M Beauty range in South Africa, offering a curated selection of products including nail colors, lip glosses, hair styling tools, and accessories. The collection is available in select stores like Sandton City and Rosebank Mall, and online. This move complements the brand’s fashion offerings, aiming to deliver a complete look.
• August 2024: Woolworths’ WBeauty launched a refillable make-up range to cut packaging waste, extending sustainability efforts and broadening premium beauty options in-store and online nationwide.

South Africa Cosmetics Market Report Coverage:

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

• How has the South Africa cosmetics market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?
• What is the breakup of the South Africa cosmetics market on the basis of product type?
• What is the breakup of the South Africa cosmetics market on the basis of category?
• What is the breakup of the South Africa cosmetics market on the basis of gender?
• What is the breakup of the South Africa cosmetics market on the basis of distribution channel?
• What is the breakup of the South Africa cosmetics market on the basis of region?
• What are the various stages in the value chain of the South Africa cosmetics market? 
• What are the key driving factors and challenges in the South Africa cosmetics market?
• What is the structure of the South Africa cosmetics market and who are the key players?
• What is the degree of competition in the South Africa cosmetics market? 

Key Benefits for Stakeholders:

• IMARC’s industry report offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various market segments, historical and current market trends, market forecasts, and dynamics of the South Africa cosmetics market from 2019-2033.
• The research report provides the latest information on the market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the South Africa cosmetics market.
• Porter's five forces analysis assist stakeholders in assessing the impact of new entrants, competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, and the threat of substitution. It helps stakeholders to analyze the level of competition within the South Africa cosmetics industry and its attractiveness.
• Competitive landscape allows stakeholders to understand their competitive environment and provides an insight into the current positions of key players in the market.