Consumer Products

Executing ruthlessly to deliver sustainable value

"Long term growth on the continent is increasingly reflecting social and demographic changes, creating new engines of growth - which includes an increasingly affluent consumer class. With the consumer as an accelerator of growth, there is certainly no doubt that Africa is on the Consumer Product companies agenda" - Derek Engelbrecht, Retail & Consumer Products Leader

There is a brand new order. Your customers, consumers and competitors are evolving at different speeds in different ways in different markets. In a world that’s more complex, connected and fast-moving than ever, the opportunities are massive, but so are the risks.

With uncompromising stakeholders demanding consistent growth and consumers demanding value and taking ownership of your brands, it’s time to reframe strategic choices, realign the value chain and ruthlessly execute for short-term results and long term sustainability.

Our professionals have the knowledge to help you challenge and disrupt entrenched ways of thinking. Whether you want to improve organizational agility; drive value from digital marketing spend; deploy talent effectively across markets; or re-engineer your supply chain for greater flexibility, we have the skills you need to succeed.

Understand our point of view on key issues in today’s consumer products environment:


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Africa is on the agenda

Africa is on all Top 30 consumer products companies' agenda. Africa is growing at a faster rate, with higher investment returns than mature economies. Global consumer products companies are  already investing in Africa and now seeking to push the accelerator on profitable growth.

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Consumer strategy

African consumers are a complex and varied group where ethnicity, culture affluence and religion play a major role in driving preferences and purchasing behaviour. Consumer strategy needs to be tailored to reflect how these influences play out acrosss country markets.

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Informal markets

The informal economy is a key feature of life in Africa — estimated to account for around 42% of GDP in 2000 with the highest figures in Zimbabwe (59.4%), Tanzania (58.3%) and Nigeria (57.9%). South Africa is the least informal market — only 28.4% of GDP. Thus small “mom and pop” stores have enormous market share — possibly as high as 85% of volumes. Although not apparent, informal markets have structures, rules and a flow which businesses can tune into if they are prepared to invest sufficient time and effort.

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Centralised warehousing

The industry is rethinking the centralised warehousing model versus smaller manufacturing units closer to the source. Companies are looking at the cost of transport relative to the efficiency of manufacturing.

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Organisational models

Companies are increasingly redesigning their organisational models to reduce bureaucracy, speed up decision making and tailor products to local needs.

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Our credentials

  • In South Africa and across the continent we audit a significant number of the locally based retail and FMCG companies that operate across the entire value chain. (These companies include the largest African based consumer products company, the largest African based milk and diary consumer products company and some of the largest clothing and food retail and wholesale companies).
  • We also serve some of the world's largest companies that operate across different countries in Africa.
  • We are the market share leader in the retail and wholesale sector on the 2011 Fortune 1000, auditing 29% of the retail and wholesale companies on the list, and 45% of the revenue audited.
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Contact us

Derek Engelbrecht
Africa Retail and Consumer Products Sector Leader
+27 11 772 3567

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Customers are taking hold of the conversation

Customers are taking hold of the conversation, demanding value

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Industry insights - Unlocking value in Africa

This Industry insights directory (pdf, 1.8mb)  introduces you to our sector leaders for Africa and provides you with an overview of your industry, as well as a look at some of our credentials per sector.

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