Valentine’s Day in South Africa: expectations vs. reality

Picodi.com checked the type of gifts South Africans would like to receive on Valentine’s Day, how much money they are willing to spend and if their gifts suit the taste of their partners.

Valentine’s Day is very popular in South Africa: 86% of South Africans surveyed said they celebrate Valentine’s Day and 85%1% less said that they will give something to their partner. It probably means that for some people spending time together is more important than Valentine’s Day financial aspect.

What are South Africans going to buy as a gift? Among the men surveyed, the most popular answers were dinner at a restaurant (19%), Valentine’s Day cards (17%) and flowers (15%). Women on the other hand said they are going to buy perfumes (22%), sweets (21%) and electronics (20%).

We also asked what gifts South Africans expect to get from their significant others and according to women, the most expected gifts were flowers (44%), jewellery (38%), perfumes (38%), money (37%) and sweets (32%). As for men, the most expected option was food on delivery (35%), dinner at a restaurant (29%) and gift cards (29%). 23% wouldn’t mind getting money or electronics.

The worst Valentine’s Day gifts according to women are board games (40%), sports equipment (25%), books (22%), sex toys (21%) and food on delivery (19%). Among men, a dinner at a restaurant (27%) and tickets to a cinema or concert (25%) were chosen as the least wanted.

Valentine’s Day in other countries

We also looked into the financial side of Valentine’s Day. On average, we spend R716 on Valentine’s Day gifts in South Africa, with women spending 11% more than men (R747 vs. R668).

Among the countries researched, the highest amounts are spent in South Africa (US$124), the United Kingdom (US$117), Ireland (US$112), and the United States (US$106). South Africa is placed 20th in the ranking (US$47).

In 2021 In South Africa, the most frequently chosen gifts are dinner at a restaurant (men) and perfumes (women). American men usually choose Valentine’s Day cards, while women choose sweets. In the UK, men give mostly flowers on Valentine’s Day and receive sweets from women.

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Methodology

This report is based on results of a survey among over 11,000 people from 38 selected countries where Valentine’s Day is celebrated. For currency conversion, we used the average exchange rate for January 2021.

Public Use

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