South Africans are social people who love good company, good conversation and good food, and eating out is part of that culture and according to a report from the restaurant reservation platform, Dineplan, the rising cost of living has not deterred that culture.
In fact, in its South African Restaurant Industry report, the platform has revealed that in 2022, South African restaurants had 3,5 million reservations, with 17,8 million diners seated at eateries across the country.
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Founder and director of Dineplan, Greg Whitfield, explains this figure was reached despite economic headwinds putting pressure on household disposable income, with 67% of consumers reducing discretionary spending.
Post-pandemic people were more keen than ever to eat out after spending two years ordering in.
Stats SA reported that the total income generated by the food and drink industry increased by 18.6% in September 2022, compared to September 2021.
Eating trends
According to FOMO, a site that lists specials across more than 1 000 restaurants in the country, the return to office has also encouraged an upward trend for convenient food options like takeaways, while load shedding has also caused an increase in ordering-in, as domestic kitchens are out of commission without power.
Head chef at Salsify at the Roundhouse, Ryan Cole, believes there will probably be a shift away from international cuisine and techniques, with kitchens returning to heritage and origin in 2023.
Whitfield says although people were opting to eat out, it was still important for restaurants to make sure they made their online channels a priority.
“There has been a significant shift in the way diners make their restaurant reservations. Over the past four years, telephone bookings declined by 21%, while online bookings steadily increased, almost doubling in 2022. This shift is likely driven by guests who value the convenience of online and app-based reservations making the process faster and more accessible for local diners and tourists alike.”
Whitfield says the restaurant industry has consistently shown its resilience and ability to overcome a myriad of challenges, from economic recessions and daily power outages to a global pandemic.
“Armed with insights, I am confident that the industry will not only weather any future obstacles but succeed and emerge even stronger,” he said.
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*Compiled by Devina Haripersad
