Around the world, the Savoury Snacks category is undergoing a flavour revolution, as consumers increasingly seek out products that combine unexpected ingredients, adventurous taste experiences, and bold seasoning profiles. While traditional flavours still hold appeal, growing consumer curiosity is fuelling demand for hybrid flavours that bring contrast, novelty, and global influence. At the heart of this trend is spice, not just as a single-note ingredient, but as a foundation for complex, layered flavour combinations. From sweet-and-spicy twists to globally inspired seasonings, spice is helping reimagine what a Savoury Snack can taste like.
Insight Survey’s latest South African Savoury Snacks Market Insights Report 2025 carefully uncovers the global and local Savoury Snacks market based on the latest intelligence and research. It describes the latest global and local market trends, innovation and technology, drivers, and challenges, to present an objective insight into the South African Savoury Snacks industry environment and its future.
Globally, the Savoury Snacks market is valued at approximately US$253.2 billion in 2025, as illustrated in the graph below. Furthermore, the global Savoury Snacks market is forecast to grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.0%, between 2025 and 2030, to reach approximately US$339.3 billion by 2030.
Source: MordorIntelligence Graphics by Insight Survey
In South Africa, the local Savoury Snacks market is also expected to grow in coming years. More specifically, the Savoury Biscuits category is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 8.1%, for the forecast period 2025 to 2029. This predicted growth is largely due to growing demand for convenience, and increased interest and awareness of healthier Savoury Snack options available to South African consumers.
Globally, spicy snacks are gaining traction across a wide range of formats and regions, as brands and manufacturers are offering new Savoury Snack products inspired by international cuisines and unique flavour combinations. For example, PepsiCo recently introduced Doritos Dinamita Flamin’ Hot Queso in the United States, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, combining cheese and rolled tortillas with intense heat. Snack brand Takis also rolled out its Fuego, Volcano, and Dragon Sweet Chilli variants to international markets, combining spice with elements of sweetness, smokiness, and citrus. These launches reflect a broader move toward fusion flavour experiences, where spice serves as both a base and a catalyst for innovation.
Similarly, in Asia, spicy snack innovation has also taken on regional twists, with Japan’s Taokaenoi releasing spicy chicken larb-flavoured seaweed chips, and China’s 50Hertz Tingly Foods launching Tingly Peanuts seasoned with Szechuan peppercorns. These launches demonstrate how brands are leveraging both local flavour preferences and global demand for unique, spicier Savoury Snack options.
In South Africa, this global trend is supported by local consumers’ preference for bold flavours and their growing interest in cross-cultural taste experiences. The local Savoury Snacks market is seeing an increase in products that explore the intersection of heat and novelty, often with a distinctly South African twist. Consumers are becoming more adventurous, open to new flavours and spice levels, while still seeking out comforting or familiar formats like crisps, puffs, and biltong. This openness to experimentation, combined with rising exposure to global food trends, is encouraging manufacturers to explore more adventurous flavour profiles and novel pairings.
For example, in October 2024, Continental Brands introduced its new Boca Snacks brand, including the Flipo Puffs and Rillo ranges, with flavours such as Sweet Chilli and Tomato & Oregano offering a new twist on puffed and corn-based snack formats. Similarly, Willards expanded its Cheese Curls range with the addition of Spicy Tomato and Chilli Biltong variants, aimed at consumers looking for unique flavour combinations and fiery options. Willards also introduced a new spicy option to its Big Korn Bites range with its Ghost Pepper flavour, catering to those seeking a more intense spice experience.
Further illustrating this trend, PepsiCo and KFC extended their partnership with the launch of Simba’s KFC Original Recipe potato chips. This flavour blends Simba’s iconic crunch with KFC’s secret blend of herbs and spices, offering a spiced alternative to traditional potato chips. This follows the earlier success of the Zinger Wings flavoured chips in 2022, reinforcing the appeal of fast food–inspired spice combinations in the snack aisle.
As the popularity of spice continues to rise, brands are also exploring new and unconventional Savoury Snack formats and flavours. For example, local brand International has embraced spice-led innovation with its Sweet Texan Biltong and Tri-Platters range, offering exotic meats like warthog and kudu with warming, peppery seasoning blends that combine sweet, smoky, and spicy elements.
The South African Savoury Snacks Market Insights Report 2025 (65 pages) provides a dynamic synthesis of industry research, examining the local and global Savoury Snacks industry from a uniquely holistic perspective, with detailed insights into the entire value chain – key global and South African market trends, innovation and technology, drivers, and challenges.
Some key questions the report will help you to answer:
For more information, and to view the full brochure, please click here: SA Savoury Snacks Market Insights Brochure 2025
If you require any further assistance, please email info@insightsurvey.co.za, call our Cape Town office on (021) 045-0202, or Johannesburg office on (010) 140- 5756.
About Insight Survey:
Insight Survey is a South African B2B market research company with more than 15 years of heritage, focusing on business-to-business (B2B) and industry research to ensure smarter, more-profitable business decisions are made with reduced investment risk.
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