South Africans are increasingly opening their wallets in pursuit of better health, with weight management emerging as a new spending trend that is reshaping household budgets.
The shift goes beyond discretionary wellness purchases, pointing to a broader change in everyday consumption. While supplements and vitamins still dominate, spending on fitness, weight-management support and cosmetic procedures is gaining ground, according to a report by Visa Inc. and Discovery Bank.
About 16% of survey respondents said they spent money on dietitians or weight-loss clinics, with demand strongest among women, people aged 26 to 40, and Cape Town residents. Meanwhile, 14% reported using weight-loss medicines such as semaglutides and other GLP-1 therapies—a share that rises among younger consumers and Pretoria residents, and skews slightly higher among men.
The findings are based on a combination of Visa's payments dataset with transactional data from Discovery Bank and also covers a survey of 1,000 individuals earning more than 100,000 rand ($6,000) a year—about half the annual average household income—and actively using a credit card. Discovery runs one of South Africa's newest digital lenders and the country's largest private health insurer with about 6.5 million clients across its local operations.
Among those using prescribed weight-loss medication, nearly six in 10 say they are spending more on healthier foods. At the same time, 48% report cutting back on takeaways and restaurant meals, while 45% say they are spending less on alcohol. Notably, 38% say their overall grocery spend has declined, suggesting changes not just in what people eat but how much.
The trend could accelerate as cheaper alternatives enter the market. Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd. is aiming to be among the first to introduce a locally produced GLP-1 drug, a move that could expand access in a highly price-sensitive market and deepen the shift in spending habits.
Other emerging spending categories featured in the report include online betting, which overtook gambling spend at casinos, and more consistent flows into cryptocurrencies, suggesting digital assets are regarded as part of a long-term investment strategy rather than a purely speculative trading instrument, according to Discovery.
The report also showed growth in consumer spending outpaced inflation for first time since 2022 as a series of interest rate cuts bolstered disposable income.