Consumer expectations, perceptions and purchasing of South African game meat

Abstract

The expectations, perceptions and purchasing behaviour of consumers of game meat were Researched by a survey method using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. The sample consisted of 300 South African consumers and included 100 white, 100 coloured and 100 black consumers. It is evident that South African consumers perceive game meat differently than they do the 'traditional' meat types such as beef, mutton/lamb, chicken and pork. They do not consider game meat as a 'regular' type of meat, but rather as an exotic, seasonal product. Furthermore, South African consumers indicated that they are not willing to pay more for game meat than other types of meat. South African consumers indicated that they consider the fat content of meat as an important quality when they purchase meat, as they aspire towards consuming lean meat. This research not only shows that South African consumers are ill-informed regarding the positive attributes of game meat, but also that producers and marketers of game meat are not doing enough to promote game meat. This provides an excellent opportunity for game meat producers and marketers, as game meat is lower in fat than pork, lamb or beef.