Lamb consumption in South Africa has been trending downwards for several years, primarily due to economic pressures on consumers. This decline is mainly driven by the high price of lamb, which makes it a luxury item for many households.

As consumer disposable income shrinks amid a weak economy and high unemployment, South Africans are increasingly opting for more affordable protein sources, such as chicken and pork.

Marina Fourie, an independent contractor for the Red Meat Industry Services and brand manager of Beef and Lamb South Africa (SA), says price has been the biggest barrier for consumers to purchase lamb and mutton across all demographics.

“In terms of red meat in general, after price, overall utilisation (know what, where, how to buy and how to cook it) also scored low in our previous consumer research done in 2022. It is a personal concern of mine that a lack of exposure, due to difficult economic times, will result in lower consumer acceptance amongst younger consumers,” she says.

Importance of marketing

Fourie says Beef and Lamb SA is actively involved in marketing red meat in South Africa through its consumer education programme. She adds that consumer education works on the purchasing intent part of the consumer decision-making process.

Beef and Lamb SA’s aim is therefore to ingrain a positive attitude towards the entire red meat industry value chain. This sentiment, Fourie says, is passed on from one generation to the next.

“We work to keep the food communication community, including food service, food entertainment and social media influencers, informed and engaged. We get involved with recipe books, cooking classes, TV shows, events and campaigning to make sure both beef and lamb stay at the top of their minds and preference lists and that they advocate for our industry.”

Another strategy used by Beef and Lamb SA is to elevate red meat in the minds of consumers.

“Although it’s one of the most expensive proteins per kilogram in the food basket, we aim to make red meat the hero, the special treat, that nostalgic dish that no great South African occasion can exist without,” explains Fourie.

In this regard, Beef and Lamb SA position beef and lamb as premium-quality products in terms of eating experience, production practices, sustainability and nutrition.

“The main educational focuses when it comes to lamb is debunking nutrition myths through communicating recent food composition data from local studies.

Beef and Lamb SA, for example, has proved that lean, trimmed lamb contains significantly less fat than reported and believed in earlier years.”

Social media

In July and August, Beef and Lamb SA used its social media platforms to launch a science-based campaign.

“In future campaigns, we aim to simplify these scientific messages even further, and get experts on board to talk on the Beef and Lamb SA platforms.”

Fourie adds that some of the topics they hope to cover in future is greenhouse gas emission overestimations; the risks of consuming ultra-processed foods; the ‘fat’ debate; the role of animal-sourced food in micronutrient deficiencies; protein; and a world without livestock.

For more information phone the RPO on 012 349 1102/3, or email [email protected].