Shift in South Africa’s TV market

Lesser-known budget TV brands are becoming increasingly popular in South Africa, according to two of the country’s largest television retailers.

A recent MyBroadband survey found the traditional big three TV makers in the country — Samsung, LG, and Hisense — remained the most popular brands in the tech-savvy community in January 2025.

In previous years, several major retailers also told MyBroadband that these brands were the top performers in sales.

While the rankings of best-selling brands sometimes varied between different stores, Samsung and Hisense were always in first or second place.

MyBroadband asked the country’s foremost online and physical TV retailers about their top-selling brands and sizes in May 2025.

Based on feedback from Takealot, Makro, and Game, the best-selling brands seem to look slightly different in early 2025 than in previous years.

Takealot told MyBroadband that Toshiba topped its sales charts, followed by JVC, Samsung, Skyworth, and Hisense.

South Africa’s biggest e-commerce store also said that TCL and Toshiba had become more prominent in the market, while JVC was attracting an increased following due to its competitively priced QLED TVs.

In general, Takealot said its customers were leaning more towards larger screen sizes while also looking for value-driven brands.

In terms of TV sizes, most Takealot shoppers were opting for 50-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch models. These were followed by 70-inch and 75-inch sets.

Makro and Game parent Massmart said that TCL was its best seller, followed by Skyworth, Samsung, JVC, and Hisense.

“Price deflation is a continuous factor in this category, which continues to make larger and higher-end TV’s more affordable for consumers,” Massmart said.

Massmart said customers continued to seek out better screen technology. Recently, they have shifted from conventional LED-backlit TVs to QLED sets.

“We’ve also noted the preference for larger panel sizes — particularly 55-inch sets and upwards,” Massmart said.

Big growth for Hisense on Amazon.co.za

While a much newer player than Takealot and Massmart, another local retailer that offers a wide range of TVs at competitive prices is Amazon.co.za.

It was the only store that had one of the big three as a top seller. According to Amazon, Hisense showed substantial growth across all price tiers on its local marketplace.

Amazon said a notable trend was the increased accessibility of premium display technologies. The retailer said that QLED and OLED panels had gained significant market share to reach 40% of sales.

“This can be attributed to increased affordability, making these premium technologies accessible to a broader consumer base,” Amazon said.

“Smart features and streaming integration continue to be crucial factors in purchasing decisions, particularly among tech-savvy consumers.”

Analysis of Amazon.co.za’s current sales data also revealed that 55-inch and 65-inch models accounted for 45% of customer demand.

Amazon added that gaming enthusiasts in particular showed strong interest in advanced features such as higher refresh rates and HDR capabilities.

The retailer said this showed that South African consumers were increasingly viewing TVs as sophisticated entertainment hubs rather than simple display devices.

Two other prominent TV retailers in South Africa — HiFi Corp and Incredible — declined to comment to MyBroadband’s queries.

The table below summarises the top-selling TV brands at Takealot, Massmart, and Amazon.co.za for the year to date.