Africa food trends overview
- Urbanisation and digitalisation are reshaping African food consumption habits
- Affordability drives purchasing decisions, influencing choices of pack sizes and formats
- Convenience foods and snacks are growing across multiple markets
- Affordable wellness combines nutrition, fortification and functional food benefits
- Global cuisines gain popularity while local flavours remain influential
In Africa, food trends are influenced by shifting lifestyles, the importance of affordability and convenience, and the growing interplay of local and global flavours.
Urbanisation and modernisation
Urbanisation is one of the biggest demographic trends influencing Africa. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the continent’s urban population will double by 2050.
Urbanisation has a profound influence on food trends. “Urban consumers have greater exposure to supermarkets, street food, restaurants, delivery platforms and packaged foods, while commuting and busier lifestyles increase demand for convenience and reduce the time available for preparing food from scratch”, says Christy Tawii, research manager at analytics company Euromonitor International.
Such a vast expansion of choice can have its downsides – it has the potential to impact health, increasing exposure to fast food, sugary drinks and highly processed food – yet it also boosts access to different types of food.
Digitalisation is also changing consumer habits. Many younger consumers discover food through social media, exposing them to new brands, cuisines and trends. This will only grow: 64% of African households are expected to be internet-connected by 2040, according to Euromonitor.
Furthermore, foods are being modernised. Some examples of this are packaged gari in Ghana, pounded yam and cassava fufu flours in Nigeria, and instant uji in Kenya. Meanwhile, ingredients such as millet, cassava, sorghum and teff are gaining new interest due to local provenance, nutrition and climate resilience.
In short, urbanisation and modernisation are an opportunity for food companies. “The opportunity is to understand this evolution and serve a consumer who is becoming younger, more urban, more connected, more time-conscious” but still highly receptive of value, says Tawii.
The importance of affordability
Affordability and value remain “fundamental” for African consumers, says Euromonitor’s Tawii.
A big part of affordability is control – being able to moderate how much one spends – and pack size is a key part of this. For some consumers, smaller packs are attractive because they are cheaper. Larger packs, while saving money in the long-run, appeal largely to consumers who can afford the up-front costs.
Refills are also being experimented with. “In South Africa, players such as SKUBU have introduced automated refill technology that allows consumers to buy staples such as maize meal, rice, sugar and cooking oil in quantities that suit their needs and budgets, rather than being limited by fixed pack sizes”, says Tawii.
In short, much depends on packaging. “Affordability innovation is increasingly about pack architecture, offering the right quantity, at the right price point, for different consumer budgets and shopping occasions.”
Convenience and snackification take hold
As more people move to urban areas, demand for convenient foods is growing, explains Tawii. This extends beyond packaged snacks, taking in bakery, street food, prepared foods and ready meals. Convenience is particularly popular with younger consumers.
“Commuting, changing household structures and younger consumers are increasing demand for food that is portable, quick to prepare and easy to consume throughout the day.”
Snacks are a particular growth category. In Egypt, the retail value of snacks is expected to grow by 17% in 2026, while in Kenya, snacks have moved from an occasional treat to everyday consumption.
Also prominent is what Tawii describes as “convenient tradition”. This makes more traditional foods quicker and easier to prepare. Some examples of this include packaged gari, instant uji, fufu and pounded yam flour.
Convenience also links back to affordability, Tawii explains. “Smaller and single-serve formats can serve multiple needs at once – affordability, portion control and convenience – while also allowing consumers to maintain small moments of indulgence even when household budgets are constrained.”
Wellness trends
Several wellness trends are building popularity in Africa. For example, interest in protein, fortification and functional benefits is growing among urban consumers. However, affordability remains central to this, Tawii stresses, and it cannot be decoupled from it. “The bigger mass-market opportunity is therefore delivering better nutrition at an accessible price.”
Interest in clean-label foods and natural ingredients is also growing among some demographics. Some urban consumers are interested in greater transparency in food, with recognisable ingredients and fewer additives.
In some countries, this is also reflected in regulation. Kenya finalised the Kenya Nutrient Profile Model (KNPM) in 2025, while South Africa is progressing proposals around front-of-pack nutrition warnings and tighter controls on health and nutrition claims.
Yet these trends are made more complex by widespread malnutrition on the continent, Tawii points out.
Africa “faces the dual challenge of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies alongside rising obesity and diet-related disease. The opportunity is therefore not only about taking ingredients out, but also putting nutritional value in through fortification, protein, fibre and other functional benefits. For this reason, ‘affordable wellness’ may be more relevant to the mass African market than clean label alone. Better nutrition and simpler products still have to be accessible.”
Regional differences
Many of these trends differ depending on the region. In North Africa, for example, Arab and Mediterranean influences combine with North African to influence packaged foods, explains Tawii. This region has “comparatively developed” packaged food industries.
In West Africa, much of food culture centres around products such as cassava, yam, rice and legumes, with traditional foods increasingly turned into branded products.
In East Africa, grain and fermentation traditions around millet, sorghum and teff predominate. There is also increasing innovation around convenience and snacking. In Kenya, for example, Kenyan snack company Deepa Industries holds a significant retail value share of savoury snacks. This, says Tawii, shows the importance of local manufacturers that understand local tastes.
In Southern Africa, particularly South Africa, there is a more developed formal retail environment, and trends such as convenience, wellness, premiumisation and private label are more established.
There is some convergence of food trends across the continent, particularly through younger, more urban consumers interacting with trends on social media, particularly international foods. Yet staples and tastes remain highly local. The common thread, suggests Tawii, is how global influences are being adapted to local food cultures.
Global foods
Younger, more urban consumers are also interested in global cuisines, explains Tawii. They are “becoming more adventurous, influenced by social media, travel and global entertainment.”
Asian food, especially Korean and Japanese, is seeing strong popularity, particularly in markets such as South Africa and Kenya. In South Africa, for instance, Korean food has moved into the mainstream, with Pick n Pay introducing a range of more than 80 Korean products.
Yet this does not mean the rejection of African flavours. “Rather than simply seeing Westernisation of diets, we are seeing a two-way exchange: international cuisines are being localised, while African ingredients and flavours are being modernised”, says Tawii.
A hybrid food culture is emerging. While consumers are increasingly interested in international flavours, many of these dishes are being adapted for African tastes.
In Africa, food trends continue to evolve. Different formats, diverse pack types, and new ranges are being developed to meet this evolution.
