Consumers Have Spoken: Announcing the 2025 Product of the Year Winners

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South African consumers have once again cast their votes in the country’s most comprehensive independent product survey. Product of the Year South Africa is proud to unveil the 32 winners of the 2025 Product of the Year Awards, showcasing the most innovative products and services across multiple sectors.

Spanning categories from personal care to finance, the winning products were chosen by a nationally representative survey of 2,000 South African consumers, conducted by global insights leader Kantar. Each winner earned its place based on real consumer opinions—evaluated for appeal, relevance, uniqueness, satisfaction, and innovation.

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“As South African shoppers continue to tighten their belts and juggle daily expenses, the peace of mind that they are spending wisely on products that are recognised and endorsed by their fellow consumers is priceless,” says Edith Venter, General Manager of Product of the Year South Africa. “Whether it’s a reimagined heritage product or a brand-new entry to market, these products all share one thing: they connect with consumers in ways that matter. The Product of the Year seal is a mark of trust, backed by solid research and consumer endorsement.”

Among the highlights of 2025 is the introduction of a refreshed Product of the Year logo, a modernised design that reinforces the brand’s promise of quality, innovation, and consumer backing. The new logo will appear on packaging, advertising, and marketing materials for all 2025 winners, providing instant recognition on shelves and screens.

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This year’s entries included a wide range of innovations launched between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2024, as well as ‘Heritage’ products – longstanding favourites that continue to adapt to evolving consumer needs. All entrants were judged on innovation in one or more of the following areas: function, design, packaging, or ingredients.

Mike Nolan, Global CEO of Product of the Year, adds “We’re seeing incredible growth and momentum in South Africa. The programme’s ability to welcome entries across all industries—FMCG, services, tech, financial and more—demonstrates its relevance in today’s market. A Product of the Year win offers local and international credibility and helps brands stand out in an increasingly cluttered space.”

Why it Matters:

Independent Validation: All winners were selected through Kantar’s rigorous, transparent methodology.
Tangible ROI: 75% of consumers are more likely to try a product with the POY logo.
Broad Impact: Past winners have reported increased brand visibility, trust, and sales performance.
Marketing Power: Winners may use the Product of the Year logo on all communications for one year, offering instant credibility at every touchpoint and much-needed peace of mind to consumers.

Full List of 2025 Category Winners

No.	Category	Product Name	Brand/Manufacturer	Award Type
1	Baby Pants	Clicks Made 4 Baby Pants Size 3 Midi	Clicks	Heritage
2	Banking – General	Standard Bank ACHIEVA	Standard Bank	Standard
3	Cakes	Chateau Gateaux	Chateau Gateaux	Standard
4	Curry Powder	Rajah Curry Powder	Unilever	Heritage
5	Diapers – Adult	Grand Masters Adult Diapers	Lil Masters	Standard
6	Diapers – Baby	Cuddlers Gold Disposable Nappies	National Pride	Heritage
7	Face Cream	Clicks SUNprotect Anti-Ageing SPF50 Face Cream	Clicks	Heritage
8	Food Spices	Robertsons – Chicken Spice/BBQ/Steak & Chops	Unilever	Heritage
9	Fruit Juice	100% Pressed Fruit Juice Blend	Spar Encore	Standard
10	Funeral Planning	Standard Bank Flexible Funeral Plan	Standard Bank	Standard
12	Health – Child	Panado Infant Drops	Adcock Ingram	Heritage
11	Health Care	Osteoeze Gold Once A Day Powder	Nativa	Standard
13	Hygiene – Men’s Deodorant	Dove Men+Care Full Range	Unilever	Standard
14	Hygiene – Women’s Deodorant	Even Tone Roll On / Deodorant	AMKA	Standard
15	Hygiene – Women’s Shower	Fresh Glow Shower Crème	AMKA	Standard
16	Investments	Standard Bank Tax Free Call Investment Account	Standard Bank	Heritage
17	Lip Gloss	Smudge Lip Plumper: Plum / Pearl	Smudge	Standard
18	Mascara	Smudge – Full range	Smudge	Standard
19	Nicotine Pouches	VELO Nicotine Pouches	BAT	Standard
20	Pain Relief – Adult	Panado Effervescent	Adcock Ingram	Heritage
21	Ready to Drink Spirit Cooler – Rum	Malibu Ready to Drink Spirit Cooler	Pernod Ricard	Standard
22	Ready to Drink Spirit Cooler – Vodka	Absolut Cocktail Spirit Cooler Range	Pernod Ricard	Standard
23	Ready to Eat – Mince	Knorrox Soya Mince	Unilever	Heritage
25	Smoothing Serums	Sorbet Smoothing 10% AHA + BHA Serum	Sorbet	Heritage
24	Soap	Lifebuoy with Multivitamins	Unilever	Heritage
26	Soup	Knorrox Low Economy Soup	Unilever	Heritage
27	Sparkling Wine Cocktails	Cheeky Cocktails Mimosa	Black Vulture Beverage	Standard
28	Stock Cubes	Knorrox Stock Cubes	Unilever	Heritage
29	Student Loans	Standard Bank Student Loan	Standard Bank	Standard
30	Vapes	Vuse Go Reload 1000	BAT	Standard
31	Wet Wipes	Clicks My Earth Flushable Eco Wipes	Clicks	Heritage
32	Youth Bank Accounts	Standard Bank MyMo Account	Standard Bank	Standard

For brands, earning the Product of the Year title isn’t just a badge of honour, it’s a proven accelerator of trust, visibility, and consumer engagement. For consumers, it’s a shortcut to quality and innovation in a cluttered market. As the 2025 winners celebrate their achievement, the Product of the Year seal continues to signal one thing clearly: this is a product South Africans believe in.

Chief Executive Officer of Kantar South Africa, Ivan Moroke comments, “The 2025 research highlighted one key insight—South African consumers value relevance and functionality, especially in times of economic uncertainty. This year’s winners reflect not only innovation but also a deep understanding of what people genuinely need.”

Entries for the 2026 Product of the Year Awards will be accepted from September 2025.

For more information about the programme visit www.productoftheyear.co.za