Heartbreak for Sweet Tooths: Why Chocolate Is Getting Pricier in South Africa

A Bittersweet Crisis for South Africa’s Chocolate Lovers

For many South Africans, a slab of chocolate is more than just a treat. It’s a comfort, a celebration, and sometimes even a coping mechanism. But lately, indulging that sweet tooth has become an increasingly expensive habit — and there’s no sign of it getting better soon.

New research by data firm Eighty20 reveals just how deep the bite is going. Since December 2021, chocolate prices have surged by a staggering 40%. In 2024 alone, prices jumped 11.6%, outpacing general inflation and making chocolate one of the most visible casualties of a rapidly shifting global economy.

So what’s melting the magic?

Cocoa Chaos: The Global Storm Behind Local Prices

The root of South Africa’s chocolate price hikes lies thousands of kilometres away, in the cocoa-growing regions of West Africa. Ghana and the Ivory Coast — responsible for two-thirds of the world’s cocoa — have been grappling with a perfect storm of issues: unpredictable weather, disease outbreaks, and faltering harvests.

The result? Global cocoa prices have skyrocketed nearly 300% in the past year, hitting a record $12,565 per metric tonne in December 2024.

Although cocoa exports from the Ivory Coast briefly improved in early 2025, hopes of relief were dashed. Concerns about the quality of the ongoing mid-crop harvest have resurfaced, with reports that processors are rejecting truckloads of cocoa due to subpar beans.

Anthony Gird, co-founder of Cape Town’s Honest Chocolate, put it bluntly: “Climate change is absolutely affecting cocoa production in West Africa. Quality dark chocolate is becoming more expensive — and it’s likely to stay that way for a while.”

Chocolate Bars vs. Economic Pressure

In a country where 52% of adults have eaten chocolate in the past month and a third enjoy it weekly, the impact is being felt across the board — from local chocolatiers to supermarket shelves.

But despite rising prices, the love for chocolate remains strong. According to the Marketing Research Foundation’s MAPS survey, South Africa’s favourite chocolate bars — Bar-One, Lunch Bar, Aero, Black Cat and Kit Kat — are each consumed by over a million people per week.

Interestingly, Aero and Black Cat skew towards higher-income buyers, while Lunch Bar and Kit Kat appeal more broadly across income levels, suggesting that affordability still plays a major role in brand loyalty.

Africa Grows it, Europe Profits from It

While Africa is the heartland of cocoa, with Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon contributing nearly half of global cocoa bean exports, it’s Europe that dominates chocolate exports. Germany alone holds 16.3% of the world market, followed by Belgium, Poland and the Netherlands.

In 2024, the chocolate export market was valued at $43.8 billion, with the US and UK together importing nearly a fifth of the global total.

This global imbalance adds another layer to the frustration. Africa grows the beans, but the real profits — and finished products — are often processed and sold elsewhere

Social Buzz: Sweet Cravings, Bitter Reactions

Online, South Africans are venting their chocolate woes. From X to TikTok, users are lamenting price hikes with memes, jokes, and side-by-side price comparisons showing how small slabs have nearly doubled in price at major retailers.

A post shared last month on X  showing a standard 80g chocolate bar priced at R28.99 sparked over 1,200 retweets, with comments ranging from “This better cure heartbreak” to “I need a loan for a Lunch Bar.”

Still, others are defending their weekly splurge. As one user quipped, “If I’m going down with this economy, I’m taking a Kit Kat with me.”

So What Now?

With cocoa supply still unstable and climate change unlikely to slow down any time soon, chocolate’s price in South Africa — and globally — is expected to stay high.

For artisanal producers like Honest Chocolate, the challenge lies in balancing quality with affordability. For consumers, it may mean rethinking how often they indulge.

But one thing’s certain: even with rising prices, South Africa’s love affair with chocolate is far from over. In fact, as history has shown — whether in times of celebration or crisis — that little slab of joy may just be the comfort we’re all willing to pay for.

Source:Business Tech 

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