I remember buying the small Lindt chocolate bar across the road from the Caltex — now Astron Garage — in Bordeaux, Johannesburg, when it cost around ten rand. Slowly it crept up, and today, can you believe it, that same small bar is thirty-five rand. Make no mistake, there’s a huge premium on imported Swiss chocolate and other top-end brands.
I thought about this again recently when I saw a large Lindt slab in a Garden Centre supermarket in Cape Town marked down on clearance for R250. Those same slabs once sold for R100 at the Lindt store in Sandton City.
It got me wondering: could there be cracks forming in South Africa’s premium chocolate market? Some might dismiss the idea. After all, Lindt has achieved remarkable local penetration — from Sandton City to Rosebank and into the major supermarket chains and cafés.
Yet, with prices soaring, I realised I hadn’t bought one in years. My last indulgence was two years ago — a slightly expired slab from Looters in Retreat, Cape Town, for R22.
The Price Shock
Chocolate prices have gone from sweet to shocking. Globally, cocoa prices have tripled since 2024, driven by climate-related crop failures in West Africa, where most of the world’s cocoa comes from. Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have struggled with drought, disease, and erratic rainfall, cutting yields dramatically. As cocoa supplies collapsed, prices hit record highs.
Here in South Africa, that’s translated into chocolate slab prices rising by almost 27% in a single year, with premium brands like Lindt hiking prices by up to 15.8% in 2025 to offset soaring ingredient costs. Local inflation in food and beverages hasn’t helped either. Import tariffs and compliance costs around fair trade and child labour standards have further inflated the price of imported chocolate.
So that’s why your favourite slab — whether Lindt or Cadbury Dairy Milk — feels like a luxury item now.
The South African Chocolate Market — Layers of Sweetness
The confectionery market in South Africa is layered, much like a chocolate box. At the top level, you have three main categories:
• Chocolate confectionery (slabs, bars, boxed and seasonal chocolates)
• Sugar confectionery (toffees, caramels, jellies, mints)
• Gum (bubble gum and chewing gum)
Within chocolate confectionery, the key divisions are:
• Tablets (Slabs): the classic, breakable blocks — Dairy Milk, Beacon, and of course, Lindt.
• Countlines (Bars): single chocolate bars such as Bar-One, KitKat, Lunch Bar, and Aero.
• Boxed and Bagged Chocolates: Ferrero Rocher, Quality Street, and similar gifting products.
• Seasonal and Pouched Chocolates: Easter eggs, M&Ms, and resealable mini packs.
The “chocolate slab” — or tablet segment — remains the beating heart of South Africa’s chocolate industry, accounting for more than half of all chocolate sold by volume. Consumers still see slabs as the best value-for-money format, perfect for sharing or stretching out over a few days.
The 2025–2026 Outlook
Despite price shocks, the chocolate slab market remains remarkably resilient.
• The total chocolate confectionery market in South Africa is valued at around R18.5–19.5 billion in 2025.
• The slab (tablet) segment alone accounts for roughly R8.8–9.5 billion, maintaining its dominance by volume.
Looking ahead, the market is expected to grow 5–7% in 2026, driven by:
1. Premiumization: more dark, ethically sourced, and artisan-style slabs.
2. Value consciousness: consumers gravitate toward shareable formats that feel more economical.
3. Innovation: new flavours, inclusions, and textures to keep shoppers interested.
4. Brand loyalty: Cadbury, Beacon, and Lindt still command strong emotional connections.
Even as prices bite, South Africans’ love for chocolate doesn’t fade easily. The slab endures — a comforting, nostalgic symbol of indulgence, even if it now comes with a luxury price tag.
I remember when I used to travel to Switzerland and bring back an assortment of Lindt chocolates for the family — those glossy red and gold wrappers, the smooth melt, the excitement when I unpacked them. Back then, there was no Lindt in South Africa, and it felt like bringing home a piece of Swiss magic. But even if you flew to Switzerland today to stock up, you’d still be in for a nasty price surprise — chocolate has become a luxury everywhere.
