Healthierdrinking habits
Cost and health combine to change habits
Globally, consumption trends towards alcohol are changing. Over half of respondents said they never drink alcohol, while 17% of consumers said they are looking to cut back, with under 35s also indexing at just under 20%.
The number of people seeking to reduce their consumption is highest in South Africa (30%), Ireland (22%) and the US (20%). The three-month volume sales data from March 2025 for South Africa shows an 11% drop year on year, building on declines in 2024 and 2023. FYS in Brazil, which we featured earlier as a brand designed to appeal to Sugar Reducers, is owned by Heineken, representing an interesting diversification strategy for a major alcohol producer.
Brands that help consumers achieve their lower-alcohol goals are performing well. A natural replacement is a sparkling fruit drink and the most successful of these in South Africa is flavoured water brand Thirsti, which has grown penetration to 13%, adding more than three points in a year.
Thirsti has done more than simply benefit from the negative associations of a competitor category, it has deliberatively sought to appeal to a young demographic. It ties its marketing to sports events and highlights the low sugar aspect of its drinks. It explicitly states on its website that Thirsti is a ‘healthier alternative to fizzy drinks’.
