Africa Packaging Design: Complete Guide

Last Updated on April 14, 2022 by DesignerPeople

Africa is promptly becoming a massive growth centre for the packaging industry. It has led to a drastic increase in customer product markets, proliferating individual incomes and inflating youth customers in significant parts of Africa.

According to World Packaging Organization (WPO), the growth centres of packaging are shifting in Africa; thus, beating the Indian and China packaging sectors.

One of the primary reasons that made Africa special or unique is their design style and the utilization of ancient or traditional aspects in their packaging. Most of their designs are related to nature or have an earthy feel, which creates an identity worldwide.

Food and other manufactured products imports into Africa framed an essential contribution to the packaging market in the region. The increasing demand for packaged foods and the cost efficiency in food processing leads to more packaging growth.

Uganda’s packaging, especially in the food and beverage sector, is one of the emerging sectors in the packaging design industry, which is popular also has a high demand over the globe.

Moreover, when we research the packagings of Africa, we can realize the implementation of tribal or traditional designs as a common element in their packaging. It is one of their main attractiveness, which made them unique among other countries on the globe.

Market Research

Now let’s discuss the various market researches which need to be carried out before getting to the packaging of your product.

1. Product Type

Before commencing the process, it is essential to let your customers know your product type. It is a primary condition as a trader should be enlightened with the kind of product h/she is introducing into the market.

A product type is a kind of marketing copy that describes what a product is and why it’s worth purchasing. In fact, the motive of a product type is to communicate with your customers about your product’s essential features and benefits so that they have a brief idea about it.

Answering few questions before starting the actual process helps in getting a clear idea about your product.

• What is the exact size of the project? Complete details with accurate line dimensions.
• What is the type of packaging? For example, is it pouches boxes, containers, etc.?
• What are the materials used? If it is plastic, cardboard, or eco-friendly.

Also Read: Low Cost Packaging Creative Ideas and Advantages

2. Target Audience

Individual’s taste buds and preferences differ based on factors such as age, location and behaviour. It’s important to appraise your audience when promoting your product and designing the packaging. Recognizing who you’re addressing can raise your sales or guide you to target your advertising better.

For example, the people in Ghana might have different tastes when compared to Lebanon. Therefore, it will reflect on their packaging also in a considerable manner.

Gender is another vital demographic and targeted effort can be more or less fortunate based on your product. Several products appeal more to certain genders than others. The other factors which needed to consider while targeting your audience are their lifestyle, colors, etc. Thus, when designing packaging, you need to execute it according to your target audience.

3. Target Market

Identifying a target market helps your product generate productive marketing communication strategies. A distinctly defined target market clarifies consumers’ values, liking, or values – provides a framework that allows regulating design approaches and proper product communications.

When recent challenges raised the level of country threat in Nigeria, many organizations tend to launch their bubs in Ghana to attain a peaceful neighbourhood.

In fact, studies stated that by 2030, the most important customer markets would incorporate Nigeria, Egypt, and other parts of South Africa. Moreover, there will also be profitable opportunities in Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Libya, Gabon, among other African countries.

Therefore, while deciding the target market, you need to have thorough research on the overall aspects of that region.

Important Design Elements of Africa Packaging Design

1. Color

When it emerges to packaging, color is one of the essential parts for fascinating consumers. Noticeable from a considerable distance than other components such as copy, graphics, it’s often one of the initial things people observe.

When it comes to African packaging, we can see the utilization of earthly tones or vibrant colors in most of their packaging. They usually don’t prefer the standard shades such as yellow, blue, etc. Because color has psychological intimations, marketers use specific colors related to historical or tradition to obtain different emotions.

As the Africans are much influenced and emotionally attached to their traditional or tribal activities, organizations use such related shades in their packaging. But when you are planning to introduce a new product category, consider picking a striking color that stands distant from the usual color within the category.

2. Texture & Patterns

Implementing the packaging an ideal feel with texture is becoming as essential to organizations as the visual impressions. Studies state that the textures of packaging have a significant influence on the purchasing behaviour of consumers.

Texture has a more significant role than engaging or attractive – it impacts our emotions and physiological states. When the customers pick a product that has a tactual sensation, they might get a different feeling than touching a smooth packaging.

When it comes to Africa’s packaging, the utilization of tribal textures is an essential element to attract their targeted audience as most Africans have a special attachment towards tribal textures.

Even if the organizations focus on high imports or exports, they also deliberately use African’s color and textures to get unique in the global market. People in other countries can also recognize the products with their textures. They really want to showcase that their products are from African countries as African products are famous worldwide.

3. Product Shape

Creativity, invention and utility are the main ingredients in attracting consumers. For packaging to be unique or memorable, it needs to have certain qualities – a peculiar or ideal shape feasibly.

For products such as sprayers, pumps, bottles, the need for convenient or user-friendly packaging is vital to use them effectively or securely. In such situations, the importance of the shape of the packaging comes into existence. Packaging that is well-shaped will be appropriate to use, providing a pleasing user experience.

Packaging shapes are even used to target particular audiences. For example, round-shaped products focus on women, whereas rectangular or square-shaped products focus on men.

In African packaging, you can see that they don’t implement peppy or vigorous shapes; instead, they use the traditional or standard forms of shape in their packaging. For example, the packaging of bottle brands focuses on their traditional aspects to attract their audience.

4. Illustrations & Artworks

Illustrations and artworks are the central components when it comes to packaging. In reality, illustration is essential to render every kind of idea or visual concept flexibly and effectively. It reinforces both visual and expansive terms by intensifying the presentation of the products.

Good artwork grants the whole product incidents and gives the organizations an efficient way to make an excellent impression on prospective customers also convince them. Most purchasers are disposed to create a direct connection between the quality of the packaging and the grade of the product.

As the Africans are more of their traditional culture, the implementation of their illustrations and artworks are visible in their packaging. African tribal art comprises wood carvings, furniture, metal works, jewellery, etc.

In the region, specific cultures had their own histories, skills development and exercise. However, modern African artworks are made on the social impact of urbanization and globalization on their culture. Their art can reflect this while still comprehending traditional skills and tribal culture into their work.

5. Fonts

As similar to color and imagery, font is one of the basic elements of product packaging. Font helps grab the consumer’s attention also carry out the product information and organization’s message. Your font needs to generate the proper tone to trade the product.

Amidst other things, a font can define your product, help transform your brand and affect consumer preference. If you decide to put more than one, then always try not to exceed above three.

All variants of fonts have a style that creates a particular feeling. Therefore, while choosing the typography, it is essential to select the appropriate one that conveys the personality or uniformity of your brand.

Africa’s packagings have a particular pattern that usually reflects their theme. In fonts also they focus on tribal or traditional patterns such as Tribeca, Gilgongo, OutOfAfrica, etc. Using this typography in their packaging makes their products unique and easy to recognize or attract consumers.

Cost of Africa Packaging Design

1. Freelancer Level (200 – 300 USD)

With the rising oppression of marketing with the motive of “do more with less”, some are often using crowdsourcing platforms like Fiverr and Upwork to cut the prices of their packaging design.

However, you might feel that placing a project out to such platforms can be profitable to get lots of ideas and design concepts. But in reality, crowdsourcing your packaging in such forms can lead a hazardous for your business. Imageries and illustrations used by such freelancers can affect your work from copyrights violation.

Moreover, any copyright violation will cost you from 201 USD, while a deliberate intruder may have to pay a cost of more than a million USD for a single work.

Consumers do not take more than 7 seconds to decide whether to buy a product or not during their purchasing. Therefore, if your packaging looks outdated, it won’t attract your customers.

2. Agency Level (450 – 600 USD)

Almost 66% of consumers always come with a concept after noticing a product with attractive packaging; thus, they approach agencies to get fresh ideas for their packaging.

The primary benefit of a good packaging design is that it only requires 2-3 seconds for consumers to confirm the buying decision. These 3 seconds are the most important as your product needs to catch the customer’s attention within a short span.

Massive research is always required to grab the customer’s attention and bind the emotional connection with the product.

Packaging agencies realize and work on the three vital stages before getting into the process, i.e., Research, Accomplish and Create, which tends to an ultimate competitive benefit. The agencies have highly professional employees who know what is required and how to get the best result out of it.

3. Global Ad Agency (1000 – 5000 USD)

In this era, packaging decisions are very vital decisions, as in the current age of globalization. The customers always prefer to work with agencies that have an astonishing portfolio and have globally noticeable work, honours, etc. They also check the agencies fame to serve in the international and domestic markets.

Agencies like LINTAS, MUNDRA, O&M India, etc., are handled mainly by the bigger giant brands who want to obtain the critical element, i.e. security with the rank that usually gets from a global performer.

You might think, only more prominent companies might have the capability to do such brandings. But budget even matters for bigger giants. However, they realize the importance of packaging in the competitive market.

Some of the Inspiration Africa Packaging Design Trends

As the year passes, we are looking ahead to the new packaging design trends. There might be designs, which are entirely different at first glance. Still, in most cases, there is a cohesive theme behind every design, and that’s pivot aside from packaging design, which promptly reads as “commercial”, and to packaging that feels like art.

However, the motive is not to replace the traditional in-store experience but to connect customers where they are now and where they will be in future. It’s all about creating a fresh, more entrancing brand experience through unique packaging design trends.

Check out some inspirational African packaging design trends:

Conclusion

I hope now you got a complete guide on the African packaging designs. In simple words, we can express that they gave much importance to their tradition, which is visible on every minute element of their designs.

The designs on the packaging make a product stand out from other similar products in the market. Your packaging must clearly convey the features and benefits of your product.

Thus, we discussed the importance of packaging and some of the best African packaging designs. Now you might get an idea of how best packaging designs look like. Still, if you need any guidance or support, you can reach us today. We, DesignerPeople, are an 18-year-old organization in this industry, making many small and big organizations dream come true around the globe.

Author: Anush Malik

Being a strategist’s head and a long term visionary personality aims to achieve excellence in branding, packaging and digital marketing field. My 15 years of design experience and masters degree ais my strength which keeps me motivated and keep me going positively. I have participated in extensive branding design conquests in India, USA, Australia and New Zealand with winning zeal. My objective is to encourage start-ups and hence involves actively in the articles which will act as a productive intake of knowledge for them. Do connect me personally via my LinkedIn and I love to share my expertise with you.