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Urbanisation can influence consumers’ diets. (Image: Getty\/iStockphoto\/PeopleImages)<\/p>\nAfrica food trends overviewUrbanisation and digitalisation are reshaping African food consumption habitsAffordability drives purchasing decisions, influencing choices of pack sizes and formatsConvenience foods and snacks are growing across multiple marketsAffordable wellness combines nutrition, fortification and functional food benefitsGlobal cuisines gain popularity while local flavours remain influential<\/p>\n
In Africa, food trends are influenced by shifting lifestyles, the importance of affordability and convenience, and the growing interplay of local and global flavours. <\/p>\n
Urbanisation and modernisation <\/p>\n
Urbanisation is one of the biggest demographic trends influencing Africa. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the continent\u2019s urban population will double by 2050. <\/p>\n
Urbanisation has a profound influence on food trends. \u201cUrban 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\u201d, says Christy Tawii, research manager at analytics company Euromonitor International.<\/p>\n
Such a vast expansion of choice can have its downsides \u2013 it has the potential to impact health, increasing exposure to fast food, sugary drinks and highly processed food \u2013 yet it also boosts access to different types of food. <\/p>\n
Urbanisation can influence consumers’ diets. (Image: Getty\/iStockphoto\/PeopleImages)<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
In short, urbanisation and modernisation are an opportunity for food companies. \u201cThe opportunity is to understand this evolution and serve a consumer who is becoming younger, more urban, more connected, more time-conscious\u201d but still highly receptive of value, says Tawii.<\/p>\n
The importance of affordability <\/p>\n
Affordability and value remain \u201cfundamental\u201d for African consumers, says Euromonitor\u2019s Tawii.<\/p>\n
A big part of affordability is control \u2013 being able to moderate how much one spends \u2013 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.<\/p>\n
In South Africa, retailers like Shoprite and Pick n Pay are experimenting with refills of staples such as maize meal, rice, flour and cooking oil, preventing consumers from being limited by pack size. <\/p>\n
\u201cAffordability innovation is increasingly about pack architecture, offering the right quantity, at the right price point, for different consumer budgets and shopping occasions\u201d, says Tawii. <\/p>\n
Convenience and snackification take hold<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\u201cCommuting, changing household structures and younger consumers are increasing demand for food that is portable, quick to prepare and easy to consume throughout the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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Staples like fufu are being made quicker and easier to prepare. (Image: Getty\/Bassey Edoho)<\/p>\n
Also prominent is what Tawii describes as \u201cconvenient tradition\u201d. This makes more traditional foods quicker and easier to prepare. Some examples of this include packaged gari, instant uji, fufu and pounded yam flour. <\/p>\n
Convenience also links back to affordability, Tawii explains. \u201cSmaller and single-serve formats can serve multiple needs at once \u2013 affordability, portion control and convenience \u2013 while also allowing consumers to maintain small moments of indulgence even when household budgets are constrained.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wellness trends <\/p>\n
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. \u201cThe bigger mass-market opportunity is therefore delivering better nutrition at an accessible price.\u201d<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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While clean-label food has some popularity in Africa, there is also widespread malnutrition and therefore need for foods with more nutrient density. (Image: Getty\/Fotografixx)<\/p>\n
Yet these trends are made more complex by widespread malnutrition on the continent, Tawii points out. <\/p>\n
Africa \u201cfaces 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, \u2018affordable wellness\u2019 may be more relevant to the mass African market than clean label alone. Better nutrition and simpler products still have to be accessible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regional differences<\/p>\n
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 \u201ccomparatively developed\u201d packaged food industries.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n