The exclusive On Premise User Survey, which delivers expert insights into consumers’ engagement with pubs, bars and restaurants across South Africa, highlights growing confidence after a long period of cost pressures for consumers. Half (49%) of South Africans now go out to eat or drink at least weekly, and two thirds (67%) of them predict they will visit even more often in the months ahead.
With extra money in their pockets, many of these consumers will be ready to trade up their drinks choices on celebratory occasions like Christmas and into 2025. More than a quarter (27%) of consumers say it is more important to them that their drink is premium that it was a year ago, while 61% are likely to pay extra for a higher quality option. This is opening up new potential in super-premium segments of the spirits category, and two in five (41%) tequila consumers already drink super-premium tequila brands in the On Premise.
The OPUS service provides valuable insights into the super-premium consumer, helping suppliers target the right people in the right locations. More than four in five (82%) super-premium drinkers are female, while 89% are aged 18 to 34 and 91% live in urban areas. Their monthly On Premise outgoings average R1,292—13% more than the average tequila consumer—and they are ready to splash out. A quarter (24%) are willing to pay more than R70 for a single shot of tequila, while 36% will pay more than R400 for a bottle.
OPUS flags ways suppliers can attract this super-premium tequila spend, including through promotions, celebrity endorsements and recommendations. Brand visibility and reputation are also important, as two thirds (66%) of super-premium tequila consumers ask for a specific brand.
Some super-premium numbers are even higher among vodka consumers, and nearly half (48%) of them already drink super-premium brands. This market is also dominated by young, female and urban consumers, and is enhanced by the popularity of vodka in cocktails. Bar staff recommendations are a particularly powerful route to sales, so vodka brands’ venue engagement strategies are crucial.
CGA’s latest OPUS data delivers many more actionable insights into super-premium consumers and opportunities, including a deep dive into ways venues can generate sales of whole bottles as well as shots.
Abhi Sehgal, CGA by NIQ’s client solutions manager EMEA, said: “Super-premium spirits are a relatively small but extremely lucrative part of the On Premise sales mix, and they are well placed for more growth over the next 12 months. With a limited demographic and high competition, it’s crucial for suppliers and venues to precision-target super-premium spenders, and our OPUS service provides the category knowledge that’s needed to hone strategies.”
Accessible via a package of core outputs and custom projects, and a proprietary self-serve platform, OPUS is the single source of understanding what consumers are doing in the On Premise and why. To learn more about CGA’s consumer research across South Africa, download more information here, or contact Abhi Sehgal here.
