SA condom sales rocket
2005-07-31 10:00
Johannesburg - Many South Africans are buying condoms as awareness of the unprecedented HIV/Aids pandemic peaks, but the jury's still out as to whether they are actually using them.
Both the government and the private sector have recorded a significant and impressive leap in the demand and distribution of condoms.
The Society for Family Health (SFH) said sales were standing at more than 14.8 million by 2004, compared to less than one million in 1997.
David Nowitz, senior marketing manager of SFH, said Lovers Plus and Trust condom brands had experienced equal growth.
Lovers Plus targets affluent and older people and Trust, which is more cost effective, targets the lower end of the market and the youth.
"The increase in our sales can be attributed to the increase in awareness (of safe sex) and it means all the promotions are beginning to pay off," Nowitz said.
The department of health said it was now distributing 46 million condoms monthly compared to 16 million last year.
Thami Skhenjane, director of the National Aids Plan in the department of health, said condom uptake increased shortly after the department launched Choice condoms in June 2004.
The launch involved the redesign of the silver and red ribbon packaging.
Choice condoms are now packaged in a modern blue and yellow to enhance their appeal.
However, analysts have warned that the impressive sales figures don't necessarily translate into good news as it does not prove the actual use of condoms.
Estimates of HIV infections support the cautionary stance of the analysts.
The National HIV Syphilis Antenatal Sero-Prevalence 2004 survey, which was recently released by the department of health, estimated infections to be between 6.29 and 6.57 million - a significant jump from the previous year's 5.3 million.
Relative strength
Nowitz said their brands had experienced relative strength in the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.
Ironically, these are the provinces with the highest number of HIV infections.
"Although the increase in the sale of condoms is a good sign, one cannot explain the increase in HIV infections.
"It would seem that people tend to use condoms during the early stages of the relationship.
"But three months along the line, they do away with condoms because they want to ascertain their trust for each other," he said.
Skhenjane said HIV prevalence statistics were not conclusive, but merely estimates.
"The fact that condoms were doing exceptionally well is a good sign.
"It means that people, especially the youth, realise that they are at risk and are therefore heeding our call to protect themselves," she said.