The South Africa air purifier market is
witnessing high demand due to the increased incidence of airborne diseases and
the fast-rising pollution levels in various South African cities. Additionally,
it is projected that growing consumer awareness on airborne diseases’ hazards and changes in
lifestyle brought on by increased per capita income, will fuel the country's
air purifier industry.
As per the data published by Chemical
& Engineering News, according to a modelling study conducted by researchers
at NASA, air pollution causes roughly 780,000 premature deaths annually in the
country. Moreover, as per the data published in Africa news, the high air
pollution levels in Johannesburg has reduced the life expectancy by 3.2 years.
Additionally, the article mentioned that the tissues' inflammatory reaction is
aggravated by pollution. It causes several diseases, including lung cancer,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, lower respiratory tract infections,
and ischemic heart disease and strokes. Asthma in children and adults has been
seen to be on the rise, and their symptoms are getting worse. In terms of
asthma mortality, South Africa is rated sixth in the world. In South Africa, an
average of 41 kg of plastic garbage is produced annually. Thus, with this high
level of waste discharge, 40% of the plastic waste is disposed in landfills and
the uncollected waste is burnt. The
increase in burning of plastic waste is significantly contributing to the increasing
level of air pollution in the country. Thus, degrading air quality which is
leading to various diseases, is positively impacting the demand of air
purifiers in the country.
According to a report, many people in
South Africa use coal or wood burning for cooking and heating. The smoke
produced by this burning process tends to pollute the air inside their homes. Moreover,
the air pollution level in the country is witnessing rapid growth as most
low-income residential areas in South Africa are exposed to on-road vehicle
particle emissions, which range from 4% to 16% of ambient pollution and 9% to
55% of indoor particulate concentrations. Since, 80% of the roads in these
low-income residential areas are unpaved, most of the towns there, suffer from
excessive pollution. Thus, with the increasing air pollution level, people are
installing air purifiers at residential and commercial places for better air
quality.
Pollution from Mining Activities is Fueling
the Market Growth
In South Africa, the country’s economy
has benefited greatly from the extraction of gold, coal, and other natural
resources, but these mining activities has led to increased air pollution.
Moreover, an estimated 1.6 million people reside close to mine dumps. As a
result, residents of these locations are directly exposed to air pollution and
develop different diseases such as asthma, pneumonia, emphysema, chronic
bronchitis, wheeze, and chronic cough and is a common occurrence among young and
elderly people. Thus, with the rise in air pollution caused by mining
activities, people are preferring to buy air purifiers at their homes, thus,
resulting in increased demand of air purifiers in the country.
Increasing Pollution from Power Plants
is Driving the Market Growth
In South Africa, pollution level is
increasing, owing to the rising harmful emissions from power plants. In
Middelburg, there are coal mines, coal-fired power plants, petrochemical
facilities, metal smelters, chemical producers, and other industrial complexes
which are releasing high level of pollutants in the environment. As per a
report by Greenpeace in 2019, the region was among the worst in the world for sulfur
dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions and is affecting a population of more
than 4.7 million, located in nearby areas. Thus, with the increase in release
of toxic air in neighboring areas, people are installing air purifiers for
purified air at their homes.
Increasing Government Initiatives to
Drive the Market Growth
To curb the air pollution level in the
country, the government is adopting different methods and introducing new
initiatives. As per the South African government website, The Western Cape Air
Quality Management Plan (2021–2025) was recently approved by the Department of
Environmental Affairs and Development Planning of the Western Cape Government,
in an effort to reduce air pollution nationwide. Moreover, the government is
planning to invest USD0.58 million to develop air quality monitoring network.
Thus, with the increasing government initiatives, people in South Africa are
preferring to buy air purifiers for clean air at homes and commercial places.