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In kitchens across South Africa, air fryers are taking on culinary duties, from quickly crisping up weekday chicken nuggets to roasting South African classics like melket on a leisurely Sunday. If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yourself, your friends and family certainly have, and many of us have now eaten food cooked in an air fryer.
But you might not realise just how quickly this modern appliance has taken over our collective kitchen countertops. BrandMapp, an independent annual survey of more than 33,000 South African adults living in households with a monthly income of R10,000 or more, has tracked air fryer ownership over the past two years. Their latest report shows that air fryer ownership among middle-class households has soared from 26% in 2022 to 41% in 2023.
Like the microwave before it, the air fryer is a countertop appliance that offers the advantages of speed and convenience. But that’s where the similarities end. They process food in completely different ways, so there’s little threat to the microwave’s status as a modern kitchen must-have. Instead, the air fryer stands on the same side, trying to challenge the traditional oven.
But what’s the reason for its meteoric rise? Also known as a “lugbraaier” in South Africa, the air fryer is equipped with a heating element and a fan that uses the principles of convection to simulate the crispy texture of traditional deep frying. For those committed to a healthy lifestyle or weight management, its main selling point is that it uses hot air instead of oil to do much the same job—the texture can be just as crispy, although the taste is a little different. Air fryers are also sometimes faster than turning on the stovetop or oven, and are generally more energy-efficient. Given the convergence of healthy lifestyles and economic realities, this may mean that the air fryer revolution is just beginning.
Mid-market products owned
Brandon De Kock, Storytelling Director at BrandMapp, said: “We’ve seen air fryer reach grow by over 50% in just 12 months. To put that in perspective, air fryer ownership is now as high as vacuum cleaners! It’s very possible that there’s an entire generation that grew up with it as their primary cooking appliance, just as microwaves did in the 80s. If you look at where we are now, BrandMapp shows that almost 90% of the middle class own a microwave, and we’ve seen institutional data showing that almost 60% of South African households use a microwave to cook. So while some have been quick to dismiss the air fryer as a fad, the ‘snack sandwich of the 21st century’, it’s not outlandish to imagine it could be on a completely different trajectory. In fact, we may well be witnessing a generational behaviour shift.”
More than half of the top players are just empty talk
Given the price point and limited counter space, it’s not surprising that high-end households dominate in South Africa, with 72% owning an air fryer. “This is massive growth in a short period of time,” said De Kock. “It’s also noteworthy that more than half of households with an income of R40,000 and above own an air fryer, and even among lower-middle income households with an income of R10,000 to R15,000, 23% own an air fryer. This shows that South Africa’s consumer society is constantly striving for excellence and needs a product that fits their lifestyle and is priced appropriately.”
As usual, South Africa’s middle class seems to be following international trends. Reports from the UK put air fryer ownership at 30%, while recent estimates in the US put figures at over 50%. Whichever way you look at it, the global air fryer market remains lucrative, and the local market is clearly the same. Just last November, one of our largest grocery retailers made headlines when it reported that air fryers remained the hottest item on their Black Friday menu, with sales up fivefold compared to the previous year.
As a window into current consumer trends, de Kock says there may be “more to this story than just a gust of hot air”. He goes on to explain: “There’s also a serious side to all this, which can be summed up in one word: convenience. Firstly, just like a microwave, the ease-of-use factor is perfect for young people, and it’s more heat-resistant than a regular stove or hotplate. It’s also undeniably energy-efficient and heats up much faster than a conventional oven. You can see why parents would go straight for an air fryer when their kids are out and about. Sure, it can’t do everything, but an air fryer definitely ticks a lot of boxes.”
That said, they do have several notable limitations. For example, it’ll take longer to fry a breaded chicken breast in an air fryer than it will in a pan, and the small capacity of a countertop appliance might not cut it for roasting a chicken, but depending on your situation, the pros may far outweigh the cons. As de Kock says, “If you live alone, or your family has very different dietary requirements, having a very compact, very efficient oven is a game changer. And don’t forget, as we know from BrandMapp, only half of the consumer market actually enjoys cooking. The other half just wants to get a delicious meal on the table as quickly and as easily as possible. So I certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see air fryer ownership already hit 50% when our new BrandMapp 2024 survey is released before the end of the year. Stay tuned!”
BrandMapp 2023 insights are available now directly from the BrandMapp team at WhyFive Insights and by subscription through Telmar, Softcopy, Nielsen and Eighty20. For data access, please email az.oc.evifyhw@enna-eiluJ
access www.Whyfive.co.za Get an overview of what the new data contains.
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