South Africa Athleisure Market Overview, 2029

The athleisure market in South Africa is experiencing significant exponential growth. South Africa's GDP (PPP) was approximately $1.52 trillion in 2023. The GDP per capita (PPP) was around $14,284.34 in 2023. This is about 80% of the world's average. As of 2023, South Africa's population is estimated to be around 60 million people. Approximately 67% of the population lives in urban areas. There is a growing emphasis on health and fitness among the South African population, leading to higher demand for comfortable and stylish athleisure wear. As more people move to urban areas, the demand for athleisure products that can be worn for both exercise and casual activities increases. The athleisure market in South Africa has evolved significantly over the years, reflecting global trends in fashion and fitness. The popularity of athleisure wear grew as more people started incorporating fitness into their daily routines. This period saw the emergence of athleisure as a mainstream fashion category. When it comes to athleisure products in South Africa, there are several policies, regulations, and certifications to be aware of. National Sport and Recreation Act regulates the fitness industry in South Africa, including the accreditation of fitness establishments and the standards for fitness equipment. South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) sets standards for various products, including textiles and clothing, to ensure safety and quality. Athleisure products may need to meet specific SABS standards to ensure they are safe and of high quality. Some athleisure products might require import permits from the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) of South Africa. The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) may have additional requirements for certain products to ensure they meet local standards. There is always a requirement of consultation with local authorities or legal experts to ensure full compliance with all relevant regulations and standards.

According to the research report "South Africa athleisure Market Overview, 2029," published by Bonafide Research, the South Africa athleisure market is expected to reach a market size of more than USD 9.35% Billion by 2029. The market is projected to continue growing, reflecting increasing consumer interest in health and fitness. Focussing on the Future Outlook, there is a growing emphasis on sustainability, with brands investing in eco-friendly materials and ethical production practices to meet consumer demand. Sportswear brands like Nike and Adidas gaining popularity in South Africa. These brands introduced comfortable and stylish athletic wear that could be worn for both exercise and casual activities. Brands are focusing on product innovation, incorporating advanced features like moisture-wicking and temperature control to enhance consumer experience. The athleisure market in South Africa reflects broader global trends, with a strong focus on health, sustainability, and innovation. Athleisure wear became a significant trend, blending fashion and functionality. South African brands like Classify Athleisure and Kheper began expanding their product lines to include athleisure wear, catering to the growing demand for versatile clothing. Athleisure wear became a significant trend, blending fashion and functionality. South African brands like Classify Athleisure and Kheper continued to expand their product lines, offering stylish and functional athleisure wear, also made significant contributions to the athleisure market by offering a range of stylish and functional products. In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on sustainability, with brands investing in eco-friendly materials and ethical production practices to meet consumer demand. The athleisure market in South Africa has evolved significantly, reflecting changes in consumer preferences and broader cultural trends.

South Africa’s sportswear market is categorized into sports clothing, sports footwear, and sports accessories. Sports clothing accounted for the largest share, followed by sports footwear, and sports accessories. South Africa’s sports clothing includes womenswear, menswear, and childrenswear, where menswear is expected to show the highest growth rate during the forecast period. Sales by sports-inspired casual wear were dominated by active and sports-inspired casualwear. Training had the highest share amongst the sports clothing based on activity, followed by football (soccer only), and running. By value, Puma Nike, and Adidas were the top sports clothing brands in the country. South Africa’s sports footwear includes women’s footwear, men’s footwear, and children’s footwear, where men’s footwear is expected to show the highest growth rate during the forecast period, while children’s footwear showed the lowest growth rate. South Africa’s sports accessories include handbags, sunglasses, hats, scarves, gloves, belts, and other accessories. Handbags had the highest share of South Africa’s sports accessories, followed by sunglasses, and hats. Sports-inspired casual wear was the dominating sports accessories type, followed by technical, and active. Training had the highest share amongst the sports accessories, followed by running, and football (soccer only). Offline purchases had a major share in South Africa’s sportswear market, as compared to the online penetration. The distribution channels in South Africa’s sportswear market included clothing, footwear & accessories specialists, value, discount and variety stores and general merchandise retail, other online retail, other specialist retail, online specialists, department stores, and others. Clothing, footwear & accessories specialists were the leading distribution channel, followed by value, discount and variety stores and general merchandise retail and other online retail.


Considered in this report
• Historic year: 2018
• Base year: 2023
• Estimated year: 2024
• Forecast year: 2029

Aspects covered in this report
• Athleisure market Outlook with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation



By Product Type
• Clothing
• Footwear
• Other Product Types

By Category
• Mass
• Premium

By End User
• Women
• Men
• Kids

By Distribution Channel
• Offline Retail Stores
• Online Retail Stores

The approach of the report:
This report consists of a combined approach of primary and secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and list the companies that are present in it. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, annual reports of companies, and government-generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources, primary research was conducted by conducting telephone interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducting trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this; we have started making primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting them in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us, we can start verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience
This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations, and organizations related to the Athleisure industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing and presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.