Hallyu fans in Africa surge 196-fold as KOTRA pushes K-consumer goods into South African market

As the hallyu fan base in Africa grows rapidly, the popularity of K-dramas and K-pop is driving purchases of Korean food and consumer goods. A K-culture-linked promotional event held in South Africa resulted in more than 200 Korean products entering local retail channels and new contracts worth over $2 million.

KOTRA announced Monday that it held "Seoul in Sandton," a comprehensive K-culture and consumer goods marketing event at Sandton City in South Africa, jointly with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs over two weeks starting Aug. 15.

Sandton City is one of South Africa's largest premium shopping malls. The event drew participation from Takealot, the country's largest online retailer, cinema chain Ster-Kinekor, and global OTT platform Netflix.

Hallyu is spreading faster in Africa than anywhere else. According to the Korea Foundation, the number of hallyu club members worldwide grew eightfold between 2014 and 2023 — but in Africa the figure surged 196-fold. In South Africa alone, membership rose 130-fold. Over the same period, Southeast Asia saw a 15-fold increase and South Asia an 85-fold rise.

Korean dramas and music have recently climbed to the top of local OTT and music streaming charts, and "random play dance" events — where participants dance to K-pop songs — have been gaining traction in the country. The interest generated by Korean content is also beginning to spill over into the market for food and other consumer goods.

According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation, South Korea's agricultural and food exports to South Africa reached approximately $9.45 million through July this year, up about 39 percent from the same period last year.

Thirty K-food companies took part in the event. Organizers set up tasting areas for food and traditional liquor and ran Korean cultural experience programs covering hanbok, calligraphy, dalgona candy-making and traditional games. Special screenings of BTS-related content, K-pop cover dance performances, and promotional videos for Korean films and drama series were also featured.

On-site sales averaged about $4,500 per day, totaling $70,000 over the event period. More than 200 Korean products were newly listed across 27 local retail channels, including Takealot, Clicks and Woolworths.

The event also generated tangible export deals. Through business consultations held in connection with the event, Korean companies signed 27 new contracts with major local distributors worth a combined approximately $2.3 million.

A marketing executive at Takealot said searches and consumer interest in K-food and other Korean consumer goods have been rising. "We will continue to identify competitive Korean brands to introduce a wider range of products to South African consumers, and work with KOTRA to expand the online distribution of K-food," the executive said.

KOTRA plans to analyze consumer response data and sales figures gathered during the event together with local retailers and use the findings to inform future marketing of Korean consumer goods.

Jang Chung-sik, head of KOTRA's Africa regional headquarters, said the growing enthusiasm for K-food alongside hallyu's expansion across the continent is palpable everywhere. "We will systematically support the expansion of K-culture and consumer goods exports into new markets across Africa by deepening cooperation with local retail chains and online platforms," he said.