As South Africans shake off the festive hangover of 2025, liquor retailers have raked in record-breaking sums, revealing a market that is splitting between traditional heavy hitters and a new wave of sober-curious consumers. While the nation typically spends about R414-million a day on alcohol, that figure almost triples during the week between Christmas and New Year, according to consumer insights firm Eighty20. South Africa is no lightweight when it comes to global consumption rankings.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global average consumption of alcohol is about 5.5 litres per person per year. South Africa sits well above that mean at 7.8l. The data becomes truly eye-watering when filtered for those who actually drink.
Eighty20 reported that when the denominator is set to drinkers only, South Africa ranks as the fifth highest in the world, with an average of about 30l consumed per drinker annually. Consider a typical middle-income South African household in December 2025. The family spends R5,333 for their entire month’s essential food supply (the standard national basket).
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Let’s say, as a mean, they normally spend R500 to R650 per week on alcohol, but for the week of Christmas and New year, it triples. In just seven days of celebration, the household’s alcohol expenditure can reach R1,500 to R2,000, meaning nearly 40% of their monthly grocery budget is spent on liquor in a single week. Statistics from the Drinks Federation of South Africa (DFSA) reveal that beer constituted nearly 71% of total liquor sales by volume in 2022, even if its rand value share is lower at 52%.
*RTDs are pre-packaged, single-serve drinks such as Brutal Fruit and Bacardi Breezer. But the festive season triggers a more sophisticated pivot. Analysis of Global Web Index data by Eighty20 found that for internet-enabled South Africans, wine actually overtakes beer as the top festive choice, followed by cider and spirits.
This change is particularly evident in metropolitan areas. According to Eighty20 data, alcohol use is about 10 percentage points more prevalent in metros than in rural regions.
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