More colour for South Africa

The paint market in South Africa saw growth of eleven per cent by value and nearly twelve per cent by volume in the second half of 2010. As the GfK’s market researchers have ascertained, growth in the preceding quarters was in single digits. At the same time growth in DIY retailing was boosting the position of private labels compared with manufacturers’ brands. State housing projects have raised the proportion of home ownership in South Africa and lowered the threshold for entering the housing market. In the assessment of the market researchers there has been a change in people’s perception of DIY activities, which have until recently been seen as a prerogative of the more affluent classes. Furthermore, according to the GfK, the South African paint market is extremely interesting for international suppliers. This is based on the fact that access to the sub-Saharan countries and the rest of Africa is of great significance to investors, particularly since South African retailers are continuing to expand across the continent.