Like all other developing countries, Swaziland consumers are attracted to items imported from across the globe. The trends observed elsewhere can also be observed in Swaziland.
In a research study conducted by Knotell, a marketing company based in the kingdom of Swaziland the results showed that overall 21.1% of the +18 years survey respondents said they bought at least one electronic equipment within a thirty day period. A majority of these buyers bought a home theatre (or just a DVD player), followed by those who bought a hot plate, a microwave, a hairdryer and a computer respectively.
In terms of marital status, singles seemed to have mainly bought a microwave, a hot plate and home theatre more than married consumers. This trend is in line with expected consumer patterns as most singles are just starting out in life and are buying the basic necessities while at the same time are regarded as fast adopters of latest product offerings.
The trends show a sustained increase on home theatre and PC buying across all consumers. Consequently there has been a slight decrease on sales for video players (VHS) across the country as people are shifting their interests to the latest electronics.
Shopping areas for these items
In the survey conducted by Knotell, six shops stood out as having the highest market share. These are Best Electric, Lewis, Bradlows, Clicks, Cash Crusaders, and Diskom. These shops can be found in the two cities of Swaziland, Manzini and Mbabane. At the time of writing Cash Crusaders is available only in Manzini.
Men seemed to have bought their electric equipment mainly from Diskom while a majority of the women reported to have bought them from Lewis stores.
About the survey process
The information in this article is based on the Knotell Omnibus Survey conducted within the Manzini-Mbabane Corridor in the kingdom of Swaziland. The Knotell Omnibus Survey has three Swaziland designated survey areas that form the basis for developing the sampling design.
1. The Corridor Survey Area (CSA), which covers the Ngwenya – Manzini Corridor and areas within 20km from the main highway. (This is known to be the economically active part of Swaziland).
2. The Key Towns and Cities Survey Area (KTC), which covers the two cities (Mbabane and Manzini) and major towns in Swaziland. The standard areas include Mbabane, Piggs-peak, Manzini, Mankayane, Siteki, Big-bend, Nhlangano and Hlathikhulu.