2026 Product of the Year South Africa Winners Revealed: What Consumer Choices Tell Us About Shopping Trends

Every year, 2,600 South African consumers quietly shape the shelves. They fill in surveys, rate products they actually use, and collectively decide which brands earn the right to carry one of retail’s most trusted seals. The 2026 Product of the Year South Africa winners have just been announced — and beyond the full list, the results reveal a lot about how South Africans are choosing to spend right now. 

What Is the Product of the Year Award — and Why Does It Matter? 

Product of the Year is an independently run global recognition programme. In South Africa, research partner Kantar runs a nationally representative study each year, asking thousands of consumers to evaluate products on appeal, relevance, uniqueness, satisfaction, and purchase intent. 

The result is a credibility signal that lives on-pack. When a shopper sees the Product of the Year seal at the shelf, it means real people — not a panel of industry insiders — chose that product. In a market where consumers are increasingly price-conscious but still value quality, that shortcut matters. 

The 2026 ceremony was held on 28 May at Luxx Venue in Sandhurst, with 40 winners across categories ranging from baby care and banking to frozen pizza and pool chemicals. 

Clicks and Sorbet Dominated — Here’s What That Signals 

Two brands stood out for sheer volume of wins this year: Clicks took home five awards across baby and personal care categories, and Sorbet claimed five wins spanning body hygiene, beauty, hair care, heel repair, and lip balm. 

For Clicks, the sweep reflects a successful own-brand strategy. Consumers clearly trust the retailer’s house products as much as national brands — a shift worth noting for any brand competing in those categories. For Sorbet, the wins validate its move into retail-accessible product lines beyond its salon roots. 

[Internal link: How South African retailers are building trust with private-label brands] 

Standard Bank Won Three Times — in Three Very Different Categories 

Standard Bank picked up three awards:

• Virtual Card (Banking – Virtual Cards)
• Youth Account for Under 16s (Banking – Youth Accounts Under 16s)
• Flexible Funeral Plan (Funeral Planning)

That range is significant. It tells a story about a bank positioning itself as a full life-stage financial partner — from a child’s first account to end-of-life planning. 

The Virtual Card win in particular is a marker of how quickly digital payments have become mainstream in South Africa. A product that barely existed in common usage five years ago is now one of the most trusted in its category.

The 2026 Product of the Year South Africa Winners: Full List 

Here is the complete list of all 40 category winners, as selected by South African consumers through Kantar’s nationally representative research: 

Category	Winning Product	Brand / Manufacturer
Adult Health	Bioplus Energy Gummies	Adcock Ingram
Baby Diapers	Cuddlesome Nappies	Cuddlesome
Baby Food Pouches	Clicks Made 4 Baby Puree	Clicks
Baby Pants	Clicks Made For Baby Pants	Lil Masters
Baby Wipes	Clicks Expert Gentle Care Baby Wipes	Clicks
Banking – Virtual Cards	Standard Bank Virtual Card	Standard Bank
Banking – Youth Accounts Under 16s	Standard Bank Youth Account For Under 16s	Standard Bank
Beauty – Body Scrub	Sorbet Watermelon Summer Crush Foaming Salt Scrub	Sorbet
Beauty – Eyebrow Razor	Schick Intuition Touch Up Tool	AMKA
Beauty – Skin Care	LEANDS Advanced 2.0 Skin Firming Oil	LEANDS
Body Hygiene	Sorbet Watermelon Summer Crush Foam Wash	Sorbet
Body Soap	Clicks Hydrate Purifying Glycerine Soap	Clicks
Cakes	Chateau Gateaux	Chateau Gateaux
Chewing Gum	Marvellous Sugar-Free Chewing Gum Spearmint	Marvellous
Curry Powder	Rajah Curry Powders	Rajah
Face Make Up	Smudge Smooth Pore Minimising Primer	Smudge
Food Spices	Robertsons Braai & Grill / Chicken Spice / Steak & Chops	Robertsons
Frozen Pizza	Dr Oetker Ital Pizza	Dr Oetker
Fruit Juice	Rhodes Limited Edition 100% Fruit Juice Blend	Rhodes
Funeral Planning	Standard Bank Flexible Funeral Plan	Standard Bank
General Wipes	Clicks Xtreme Power Fabric Stain Removal Wipes	Clicks
Hairspray	Sorbet Hairbar Forever After Heat Defense Blow Dry Spray	Sorbet
Health Bars	Deli Gourmet Snacks Muesli Bar (Milk Choc & Cranberry & Raisin)	Deli Gourmet Snacks
Health Snacks	Clicks Smartbites Rice Pops Cream Cheese & Chives Flavoured	Clicks
Heel Repair	Sorbet Salon-Pro Urea Heel Repair Mousse	Sorbet
Household Cleaners	Blixem Foamer All-Purpose Cleaner	Blixem
Junior Breakfast	Clicks Made 4 Tots Cereal Original Maize	Clicks
Junior Snacks	Clicks Made 4 Tots Corn Puffs Cheese	Clicks
Kitchen Cleaners	Blixem Kitchen Cleaners & Degreaser	Blixem
Lawn Fertilizer	Wonder Lawn & Leaf 7:1:3	Wonder / Agro-Serve
Lip Balm	Sorbet Hydrating Lip Balm Watermelon	Sorbet
Nicotine Pouches	VELO Breezy Mango	BAT
Pool Chemicals	Trident	BLU52
Ready-to-drink Smoothies	Henties Strawberry Delight Smoothie	Henties
Stock Cubes	Knorrox Stock Cubes	Knorrox
Stock Powder	Knorrox Stock Powders	Knorrox
Sweet Treats	D’Licious Bakery Wafer Sticks Tiramisu Flavoured	D’Licious Bakery
Vapes	Vuse Pro One	BAT
Water Storage Tanks	Jojo 1,000 Litre Slimline Storage Tank	Jojo
Women’s Health	Optihealth Women’s Probiotic 10 Billion CFUs Vegi Capsules	Optihealth

What the 2026 Winners Tell Us About the South African Shopper 

A few trends stand out when you look at the list as a whole rather than category by category. 

Value is being redefined. The dominance of Clicks own-brand products signals that value no longer means ‘cheapest option.’ It means trusted quality at a price that makes sense — a nuance that brands chasing market share on price alone are likely to miss. 

Wellness is mainstream. Categories like Women’s Health (Optihealth probiotic), Adult Health (Bioplus Energy Gummies), Health Bars, and Health Snacks all placed winners this year. South African consumers are clearly weaving health-forward products into everyday shopping baskets. 

Local brands are holding their own. Products like Henties Smoothies, Chateau Gateaux, D’Licious Bakery, and Blixem Cleaners show that home-grown brands can win consumer preference even in categories dominated by multinationals. 

As Edith Venter, General Manager of Product of the Year South Africa, noted: the awards are growing precisely because brands recognise that consumer choice drives real commercial impact. The Product of the Year seal is not just recognition — it is a point-of-purchase tool. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q: How are the Product of the Year South Africa winners chosen? 

Winners are selected through an independent, nationally representative study run by global research firm Kantar. In 2026, 2,600 South African consumers evaluated products across measures including appeal, relevance, uniqueness, satisfaction, and purchase interest. No industry panel is involved — only actual consumers. 

Q: How many products won the 2026 Product of the Year award in South Africa? 

Forty products and services won awards across 40 categories at the 2026 Product of the Year South Africa ceremony, held on 28 May 2026 at Luxx Venue in Sandhurst. 

Q: Which brands won the most 2026 Product of the Year awards? 

Clicks and Sorbet were the biggest multi-category winners in 2026, each taking home five awards. Standard Bank followed with three wins across banking and financial services categories. 

Q: When can brands enter the 2027 Product of the Year South Africa awards? 

Entries for the 2027 Product of the Year South Africa Awards will be accepted from September 2026. Brands can find more information and entry details at www.productoftheyear.co.za. 

Q: Does the Product of the Year seal actually influence South African shoppers? 

According to the programme, yes — the seal functions as a trusted shortcut at the point of purchase, helping shoppers navigate a crowded retail environment. Global CEO Mike Nolan describes it as a marketing tool that helps brands build differentiation and competitive advantage. 

The Bottom Line 

The 2026 Product of the Year South Africa results are more than a list of deserving products. They are a snapshot of consumer priorities: trust over price, wellness over convenience, and a growing confidence in local brands. If you’re shopping, the seal tells you that real South Africans backed this product. If you’re a brand, it tells you exactly where the bar is set. 

Check the full winner list above, explore the brands that placed, and look out for the Product of the Year seal in stores.