Photo: Nicolet Pienaar, Head Marketing insights GfK.

According to research from GfK, Africa’s technical goods retail sector continues to feel the aftershocks of the looting and rioting in Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Natal in July.

Nicolet Pienaar, Head of Market Insights at GfK South Africa says: “A month after the looting, the South African technical consumer goods market is still feeling the after-effects. While Kwa-Zulu Natal is seeing encouraging recovery in sales of IT and telecoms products — perhaps due to consumers wanting to keep safe and stay home — we’re seeing countrywide week-on-week declines in fridge, televisions and washing machine sales.

“This is the direct result of the destruction of key manufacturing facilities as well as the ransacking of inventory from warehouses in Kwa-Zulu Natal, compounding existing component and product shortages due to COVID-19. We’re expecting that fridge, televisions and washing machines will continue to feel the pinch for most of the year, as manufacturers work to fully restore their supply chains.”