Study examines drivers of FMCG purchases in three African markets

Research company GeoPoll has released its FMCG & Consumer Insights in Africa 2026 study which surveyed more than 2,400 consumers across Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa to find out what drives their FMCG purchases. 

Among the key findings: 

• Quality ranks as the number one purchase driver across all 10 FMCG categories, highlighting the consistent importance consumers place on product performance and reliability.  

• Supermarkets remain the dominant retail channel overall, while informal outlets – including shops, dukas, kiosks and markets – continue to account for a meaningful share of purchases, particularly for fresh and staple products. 

• Online purchasing is growing but remains relatively limited. To give one online example, online beauty purchases are significantly higher in South Africa (18%) compared with Kenya (6%) and Nigeria (6%). 

• Local and African-made products are gaining importance: nearly half of consumers (49%) say it is “very important” that a product is made in Africa or in their own country. 

• Product authenticity matters: 60% of consumers say they always check whether a product is genuine before purchasing, underscoring the importance of trust and authenticity in FMCG purchasing decisions. 

Category findings 

Examining specific category findings, among Staple Foods, cooking oil is the leading staple and is purchased by 70% of consumers. It is followed by sugar (64%) and rice, pasta and noodles (62%).  

“The strong uptake across all three highlights the essential role of staple foods in everyday household purchasing and consumption,” GeoPoll points out. “Because this is the highest-volume, most price-sensitive category, protecting affordability while defending quality perceptions is the central strategic tension.” 

In the Alcoholic Drinks category, the report notes that Alcohol consumption varies considerably across the three markets, with 47% of respondents reporting that they do not purchase alcoholic beverages. Among the 53% who do, preferences are relatively balanced: wine, beer and spirits each reach around four in 10 buyers, while flavoured alcoholic beverages and ciders follow closely at 37%.  

Kenya has the lowest level of alcohol purchasing, with 57% reporting no consumption, compared with 44% of people in Nigeria reporting no consumption, and just 28% in South Africa. 

Among Kenyan drinkers, spirits lead at 47%, followed by wine (40%) and beer (34%). Brand is also a more important consideration in Kenya (32%) than in Nigeria (23%) or South Africa (26%), pointing to a relatively older, more brand-conscious market with a stronger preference for spirits and wine. 

Comments GeoPoll: “With brand mattering more here than in almost any other category, premiumisation and reputation-building campaigns have real room to grow share among the roughly half of respondents who do drink.” 

You can access the full report here.