You were previously signed up to Reveal’s Shoptalk newsletter — Shoptalk is no more, but we have replaced it with a new regular view on some of our most interesting SA retail spending data.

So welcome to this edition of INSIGHTS, a newsletter by Reveal Data.

In this week’s edition:

Over the last two years, South Africans have faced a sharp rise in the cost of living. Food inflation alone peaked above 14% in early 2023, squeezing wallets and forcing many to cut back.

And one of the first things to go? Eating out.

But the tide is turning. With inflation easing to 5.7% by June 2025 and salaries slowly catching up, the restaurant sector is making a comeback. 

The big question is: where are high earners spending their money?

We analysed spending at quick-service restaurants (QSRs), eating out establishments, as well as popular food delivery apps Mr D Food and Uber Eats for those who earn more than R40,000 per month. 

Even with the rise of delivery platforms, brand loyalty hasn’t disappeared. In fact, the wealthiest South Africans are still putting their money behind legacy players. 

KFC alone accounts for 20% of quick-service restaurant spend in this segment, a massive share when you consider the wide range of options available. McDonald’s shows a similar stickiness, while brands like Debonairs and Chicken Licken trail, suggesting they haven’t managed to capture the same enduring loyalty in this market segment. 

Heritage and habit still matter, with trusted brands still holding ground even in a market where new channels are reshaping consumer behaviour.

For high-income households, convenience increasingly trumps habit. Our data shows that Uber Eats and MrD make up less than 12% of the customer base in this bracket, yet they capture around 40% of total spend. 

Instead of choosing a brand first, many are opening an app and letting it decide where dinner comes from. The shift is subtle but powerful: convenience is no longer just a service, it’s becoming the starting point for choice.

Destination dining drives bigger tickets

When high earners do decide to go out, they’re looking for more than just a meal: they’re buying into an experience. 

La Parada leads the pack here, grabbing the biggest slice of a diner's income. It’s positioned as a destination, not just a meal.

Bossa and Spur also do well, suggesting they’ve nailed the balance between occasion and accessibility.

The trend is clear: in a segment where frequency is limited, restaurants that give customers a reason to celebrate or connect are rewarded with bigger tickets. It’s less about how often they come and more about how much they’re willing to spend when they do.

Why it matters

For restaurants targeting high-income earners, the competition isn’t just about being on the list of options, but ensuring you’re the first choice when the moment comes. 

Our data shows two clear winning positions in this segment: 

For restaurants, the challenge is clear: don’t just rely on platforms that control traffic and margins. Create experiences and reasons for customers to spend more when they walk through your doors.

Local online shopping continues to grow and is expected to make up as much as 10% of all retail sector spending by the end of 2025. It’s also set to rake in R130 billion, up from last year’s R96 billion.

Malaysian Retailer MR DIY, already active in 14 countries, has just opened its 2nd store in South Africa. With more than 5’000 stores already selling hardware, household, décor, stationery, toys, and tech accessories across Asia and Europe since it started in 2005, MR DIY is bringing competition to SA’s existing hardware brands.

SA retailers are already taking orders for Apple’s latest generation of iPhones, smartwatches, and earbuds, with the release of pricing for South Africa. Expect to drop between R20’799 and R52’499 for an iPhone 17, or a cool R25’999 to R36’799 for an iPhone Air. Apple AirPods Pro 3 will set you back R5’499, with an Apple Watch going anywhere between R5’999 and R21’999, depending on the model.

Reveal is transforming how businesses understand and act on consumer behaviour through powerful, transaction-based insights.

By analysing billions of rands in real-world spend data from over 350,000 South Africans, Reveal uncovers the patterns, shifts, and opportunities that traditional research often misses. 

Our intuitive dashboards and custom analytics empower retailers, brands, and agencies to make faster, data-driven decisions. Whether it’s 

✅ spotting category winners, 

✅ identifying high-value customers, or 

✅ tracking real-time market changes. 

For anyone needing a sharper lens on how South Africans actually shop, Reveal is the edge.

Keen to learn more? Book a meeting with data consultants.